


Nobody Like You

by ikindaneedahero



Series: Little Petal [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Play, Age Regression/De-Aging, Age Swap, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Alternate Universe- Littles are known, Diapers, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Infantilism, Littles Are Known, M/M, Modern Era, Multi, Non-Sexual Age Play, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Other, non sexual infantilism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:54:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 70,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26976184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikindaneedahero/pseuds/ikindaneedahero
Summary: Harry and Draco were always expectant of the little they’d one day raise, but they never expected they’d find them at Hogwarts.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Pansy Parkinson & Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Katie Bell/Marcus Flint, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin/Marlene McKinnon, Tom Riddle/Severus Snape
Series: Little Petal [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1968643
Comments: 48
Kudos: 176





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This came at me and wouldn't leave until I wrote down all 7k+ words of the first chapter. There isn't a lot of non-sexual infantilism in the HP universe, and if there is, Harry and Draco are the littles. Thus, here comes my story! I hope you enjoy. A lot more to come, this was just a major deep dive into the world I'm building and everyone's lives as they currently stand. Uber AU, but Pansy will get the Pansy Parkinson kick we all know and love back in the next few chapters :)

Pansy knew her life wasn’t terrible, just like her mother often told her when she felt fit to grace her daughter with her presence. 

That didn’t mean it wasn’t sad, though. 

She was a mistake, and if that wasn’t clear by the way her parents spoke to her, it was by the way she entered Hogwarts with nary a friend in the world. 

Lulette and Poseidon Parkinson were ashamed for society to lay eyes on the tangible consequence of the shameful submission to their carnal urges. Even after she proudly birthed an heir and a spare, twelve years later, at the obscene age of 33, Lulette Parkinson birthed a daughter.

Pansy would later find out that no one cared as much as her mother thought they cared. Her neglect was the product of her parents’ paranoia and inflated sense of selves… it was heartbreaking, really.

Lulette was no fool to the judging eyes of society, little better than a Weasley who birthed children like it was her favourite past time. 

Pansy bore the brunt of her mother’s mortification; she was little more than a fly on the wall for the first eleven years of her life. Not even the house elves were allowed to spend much time with her. Why expend effort on a child who’d never grace British society?

Her solace was the library, the only place where she knew no one would go. The medium-sized room was simply for vanity- she knew it was a point on the tour of Parkinson Place and nothing more. Only Pansy had a love for reading and escaping the dreary world that’d been built up for her.

Pansy knew that she was to be married off to a man from somewhere very cold in order for the Parkinsons to grow their international network. At her most callous, Pansy’s mother would cackle loudly and put to words the life her daughter would have in the cold, barren lands of Kazan, Russia, where her one-day husband bred hippogriffs and various magical plants.

Life wasn’t fun, but it could be worse, her mother told her. Much, much worse.

xxxxxxxxx

Unlike most pureblood children, Pansy knew absolutely no one as she heaved her large trunk onto the Hogwarts express for the first time. Her mother made no effort to introduce her to children her age, far too embarrassed by the fact that their parents were much younger than her. A new mother at 33 was nothing less than unseemly.

So Pansy was alone with her trunk, dragging it along the thickly carpeted hallway of the Hogwarts Express. She was early, one of the first ones on the train, but infinitely grateful that her second-oldest brother, Pallas, listened as she nervously asked if someone could take her to King’s Cross. The man waved her off, but asked an elf to take the girl to the station and leave her there.

“Hello there,” a tall boy with black hair and grey eyes greeted. He was wearing his robes already, and Pansy had already read far enough in Hogwarts: A History to know he was in Slytherin colours. The same house her family members had been in.

“Hello, sir,” Pansy replied, looking down. She knew not to make eye contact with her betters, which she knew to be almost everyone she’d come across.

“None of that,” he replied easily to the tiny, frail looking girl in front of him. “May I take your trunk?”

“Take it where?” she asked tremulously. “My things… they’re in there.”

If Pansy looked up, she’d see him smiling gently down at her. He always found muggleborns so sweet as they adapted to this new world.

“Sorry to scare you, little one. I just wanted to show you to a compartment so you can get situated. If your mum’s anything like mine, your trunk is fit to bursting with sweets even though they gave you money for the trolley.”

Pansy shook her head quickly, looking up with wide eyes. “No, sir. I’m not allowed to have sweets.”

The newly-minted fifth year prefect took a breath. Was he being tested with a fake student to see if he was fit for the role?

“No worries. My name is Ophi Black, I’m a fifth year prefect. That means I’m here to help you get situated on the train; why don’t I take your trunk and bring you to a compartment. Early bird gets the worm and all that; you’ll have plenty of spots to choose from. May I ask your name?”

“Oh, yes,” she said. “My name is Pansy, Pansy Parkinson.”

Well, he couldn’t say he expected that.

xxxxxxxxx

Pansy had no idea where she was, but hoped that her sobs wouldn’t give her away. She wanted to stay in the little alcove she’d found forever despite the chill soaking into her from the cold stone floor. There were no talking portraits and no loud, happy people to show her just what she’d been missing and would continue to miss. All she needed was the big suit of armour hiding her from sight.

She had to use the potty, but couldn’t move and risk someone finding her. She shoved that thought to the back of her head, but kept tabs on it; she unfortunately knew just how things turned out for her when she forgot to think about using the restroom. 

The large torches lighting up the hallway had dimmed a few minutes ago, and the sound of happy students and staff was no more. She was alone with her thoughts until she wasn’t.

“Room for one more?” a voice asked, causing her to jump in fright and wet her knickers a bit. Only a bit, though, she thought. Anyone would if they were frightened like she was.

“No,” Pansy replied, hiccuping on a sob.

“You may be right, it’s pretty tight quarters back here. Want to go somewhere else?”

“No,” she said again, putting her head into her knees as she took deep breaths. She just wanted to be alone, which was a cruel irony. She thought Hogwarts would bring her the friendships and warm relationships that she’d yet to experience in life. Yet, hours in, things had already been ruined beyond belief.

“We can stay,” the voice replied, easily.

Why wouldn’t they leave her alone?

“My name is Harry Potter.”

Pansy looked up slightly at that despite herself, but still hid most of her face in her knees.

“You’re the Head Boy,” Pansy’s voice shook a little. “Am I in trouble? Do I have to go back to my parents?”

Pansy could see the man shake his head in the faint light of the hallway.

“Nope,” he replied, popping his p in a way that would have her mother fainting on the floor. “We noticed you didn’t make it to your dorm and wanted to find you. Gave us all quite a scare.”

“Sorry,” she whispered, stomach sinking at the feeling of upsetting anyone. Why would they care where she is? “You don’t even know me to be scared…”

“We’re a family at Hogwarts, we take care of each other,” the older student replied, a slight smile on his lips.

Pansy needed to let that thought sink in. What did family have to do with taking care of each other?

“How did you find me?”

“Magic,” Harry replied with waggling eyebrows.

Pansy scowled despite herself, drawing a warm laugh from the stranger in front of her.

“What’s got you hiding on your first night? The food wasn’t that bad, was it?”

“Didn’t eat,” Pansy muttered, drawing a raised eyebrow that she missed.

“Why don’t we go to the kitchens and get some food? It’ll be our little secret.”

“Will I get in more trouble?” she asked uncertainly.

“Told ya love, you’re not in trouble,” Harry stood up then, towering over her even in the tight space. She hesitantly accepted his hand up. Taking a quick glance up, she took in the Hogwarts Head Boy. He had thick, black hair and round glasses. He wore a Gryffindor tie, but his robes were held together with a silver pin that looked like two hands clasping together, one larger than the other. It was weird and unfamiliar.

The seventh year led her out into an empty hallway, leaving her stomach hurting a bit. She felt seen in a way that she wasn’t fond of.

“Let me show you to the kitchens,” Harry said, looking down at the especially tiny and teary first year in front of him. Only experience had him picking up on the way she crossed her legs and rocked side to side as she stood in the hallway, daintily, but obviously. “Mind if I stop at the loo first?”

Harry hid a smile at the girl’s head shake and blush at the mere mention of the lavatory.

“Is there a ladies room?”

“Of course, let’s head there now.”

Harry was pleased to find that the girl was slightly calmer after she used the restroom, calm enough for him to pick up conversation once more. He knew enough from his parents to approach the girl delicately, but still felt like he was dodging bombardas with every topic that came to mind. How did he address a girl who was little more than a name on a birth certificate until the day she’d stepped into Hogwarts? He and everyone else knew nothing about her.

“It took me a while to learn my way around the castle, but now I could do it with my eyes closed.”

Pansy let out a surprised giggle at that. Harry didn’t think the common figure of speech was that funny, but he’d do what he could to keep the girl open and laughing.

“Think that’s funny, huh?” he ribbed lightly.

“My book says the steps move, it wouldn’t be safe to go with your eyes closed.”

“Smart girl,” Harry praised, far too tall to see if the girl’s face blushed like he thought it would. “Just a silly line, but I’m sure someone’s tried doing so. Now, if we go down this back stairwell we’ll be at the right spot. So you’ll just want to tickle the portrait and then you’ll be in the kitchens!”

“Tickle?” Pansy asked, brow furrowed.

“Sounds weird, but it’s the only way the portrait let’s you in.”

Pansy shook her head. “What’s tickling?”

“Oh, er,” Harry swallowed his surprise. “It’s like… rubbing your fingers on someone to make them laugh, usually on their stomach or armpits.”

Pansy let out a surprised giggle. “That’s silly, but I’ve never heard of it.”

Harry felt his stomach sink, but kept up the conversation now that the girl was speaking. “You’re not wrong, but it works. Want to try?”

Pansy took a shaky breath, scared to mess up the older, clearly smart boy’s instructions. She reached a hand out to tickle the pear in the portrait and ended up wincing as her nails made a loud noise and scratched the portrait. Regardless of her lack of finesse, the portrait swung open and unveiled a cavernous kitchen.

“Great job, Pansy!” Harry praised, waving her into the kitchen. She jumped at the swarm of elves, stepping behind him like he could be trusted to protect her if need be.

“Master Harry! Welcome back!” Yemley, Hogwarts’ Head of Kitchen exclaimed, his little chef’s hat still on his yellow, bald head. “Who is your darling little miss?”

“Good to be back, Yemley. This is Pansy, it’s her first year. She was unable to eat during the feast, so we were hoping you could cook something up.”

The 30 or so elves that’d gathered around began to make cooing noises that had Harry grinning and Pansy gazing down uncertainly at her Mary Jane’s.

“What can we cook you, little Miss Pansy?” Yemley asked expectantly, more sets of bulbous eyes trained on her face than she knew what to do with.

She shrugged her shoulders. “Whatever healthy foods you have ready, don’t worry about me.”

“We is always fussing, Miss Pansy,” a pink elf promised, shooing the pair over to a square table set up for visiting students.

“What do you think?” Harry asked, pulling out Pansy’s chair and scooting her in before sitting in his own.

“They’re really nice,” she replied, eyes gleaming sadly with thoughts Harry wished he could hear.

“Too nice,” Harry whispered theatrically. “They keep us well-fed, so well-fed that I’d be a balloon without quidditch. You’ll never want for food again.”

Pansy shook her head, “Mother said the grease and butter on Hogwarts’ food will kill me in a year if I’m not careful.”

Harry raised his eyebrows. “How’d she suggest getting around that?”

“Two hard boiled eggs for breakfast, no lunch, and a light salad or soup for supper.”

The man changed the conversation; there was far too much to unpack there for him to think that he would be able to have this conversation with a skittish, clearly traumatized girl who was also a stranger.

“Do you mind telling me why you left after the sorting?”

“No.”

“If it’s not me, it’ll be someone else. That someone being Headmaster Dumbledore, most likely.”

Pansy twisted her lips, thinking through her options as white meat chicken and a small spinach salad were placed in front of her. Harry poured her a glass of water from the jug that’d been levitated over, keeping silent as the girl tried to put together her thoughts.

“Parkinsons are always Slytherins.”

Harry nodded; this wasn’t the first time someone’d been a sorting shock. “The Sorting Hat is pretty smart, you know. Did it give you thoughts on why it didn’t put you in Slytherin?”

Pansy nodded, eyes welling up with tears as she lightly put a piece of spinach and red onion in her mouth.

“I won’t tell anyone if you want to share. It’ll be our secret for as long as you want it to be.”

The girl swallowed, closing her eyes and sending twin tears racing down her cheeks.

“I don’t want to say.”

“You don’t have to, love. I’m sorry for making you cry,” Harry apologized softly, stomach twisting at the sob that came after he spoke.

“Not making me cry,” she sobbed. “The hat is right, I’m just scared.”

“Why are you scared?” Harry probed, unable to not try and get to the bottom of what was wrong with the girl in front of him.

“I have no friends and my family is going to be ashamed… I can’t do anything right, I even asked for Slytherin and it said no.”

“Oh, love,” Harry crooned, voice unintentionally taking on the soft tone he used with the littles in his life. The girl brought out his basest caregiving instincts after only knowing her for mere minutes. Though he knew another person’s presence would likely make Pansy clam up, he couldn’t help but wish Draco was there. He would know what to say in a way that Harry never would.

“We’ve only been friends for a few minutes and I can already tell how kind and smart you are, Pansy.”

“We’re friends?” she asked, eyes heartbreakingly honest in a way that he’d never witnessed from a Sacred 28 child.

“We are friends,” Harry replied firmly. “Pinky promise.”

“What?”

“Pinky promise,” Harry repeated, holding out a pinky. “When we loop pinkies, that makes the most sacred promise. I’ll never go back on it.”

“Okay,” Pansy replied, lips trembling as they turned up into a smile.

Harry winked at the tiny girl as their pinkies locked, feeling like he could snap her whole arm off with just the twist of a wrist. It was a heady, protective feeling that he’d never fully felt with another person.

“Now, it’s getting late and I know we both have classes first thing in the morning. Why don’t I walk you back to your dorm and make sure you’re all set up?”

Pansy nodded, standing up with a lightness in her chest. Harry was her friend… her first friend was the Head Boy at Hogwarts and he was a Gryffindor. She couldn’t believe it.

“You Hufflepuffs are pretty lucky, your dorms are right near the kitchens. I would get hot chocolate every night if I was this close.”

Pansy nodded, though she wasn’t sure what hot chocolate was. Turns out, Harry wasn’t wrong. They were only a few steps away from the stack of barrels he claimed to be the Hufflepuff dorm entrance. Before she could fully panic that he’d leave her alone to fend for herself, he tapped a barrel in an odd pattern before a door fully formed and opened.

There were a few students in the large, inviting room that they stepped into. They all stared at the newcomers, causing a blushing Pansy to step behind Harry. She was quickly finding out that she was no fan of attention.

“Harry! What a surprise!” a happy, female voice sounded. Pansy saw the girl’s feet before she looked up and saw her face, watching the tail end of a hug between the stranger and her friend.

“Hey Susan, good to see you. I just wanted to walk my friend, Pansy, over here. You know how tough it can be to navigate the castle the first few weeks.”

If Pansy were to look up, she would’ve noticed the widening of the other girl’s eyes.

“Absolutely,” Susan nodded eagerly, catching onto the overplayed conversation that was for the first year’s benefit. “We’re really happy to have you here, Pansy.”

The girl blushed, wishing she could just sink into Harry’s large body and disappear. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was certain he’d take care of her. She just wished he was able to.

“Pansy, this is my friend Susan Bones. She’s the seventh year prefect for Hufflepuff, which means she will be helping you and the other first years out the next few weeks.”

“Exactly! Thanks for introducing us, Harry. There are eleven other first years in our house this year, though only three are girls. Never know how it’ll turn out at the sorting. Would you like me to take you up and introduce you?”

Pansy took a deep, shuddering breath that seemed far too heavy for an eleven-year-old. The other students present couldn’t help but eavesdrop, and their true-to-form badger spirits made them want to bundle the small girl up and never let go.

“You’re going to get a great night of sleep,” Harry promised, bending down to the girl’s height. “Hogwarts beds are like clouds. Then tomorrow, Susan will collect you from your room and take you to breakfast. I’ll come see how you slept at breakfast. Okay?” 

“Okay,” Pansy replied, face red in embarrassment. She knew she was putting on a production, but couldn’t help it. The only people she’d ever been around were elves, her parents, and her brothers. She’d spent many nights peeking over the top of the staircase at the extravagant soirees her parents put on, but it wasn’t the same. Meeting people was hard.

“There’s a girl,” Harry said, clapping his hands on his thighs before standing up. “Night, all!”

Various goodnight wishes were sent Harry’s way as Susan gently corralled Pansy up to the staircase of female dorms, speaking the whole way.

“This is your dorm! Your classmates seem quite sweet; ready to go in?” Susan asked, opening the door at Pansy’s nod.

Two girls inside turned to look at Pansy, their eyes bright and excited.

“Oh, hello!” one said, her blonde hair plaited around her scalp like a headband. “Are you Pansy Parkinson?”

Pansy nodded.

“We’re so happy you’re here! My name is Addie Longbottom.”

“I’m happy you’re here too!” the other girl piped up, her eyes a captivating grey. “My name is Celeste Diggory.”

“Looks like you all are going to get along smashingly,” Susan grinned. “Your trunk is at the foot of your bed, Pansy. If you girls need anything, just come on up to the room at the top of the stairs. Sweetest of dreams, and see you tomorrow!”

“Bye Susan!” Addie and Celeste said in unison, their voices sweet. They sounded like people who were supposed to be in Hufflepuff, Pansy thought.

“We’re going to have so much fun,” Addie sighed, her cheeks a healthy pink color as she smiled. Pansy thought that both of her roommates looked nice, which scared her. What if they didn’t like her?

“Are you excited, Pansy? My brother told me Hufflepuff is the best house to be in.” Celeste exclaimed.

Pansy moved to dig through her trunk, wanting to find her only comfortable pair of pyjamas and fall asleep immediately. Harry did say the bed was cloud soft, after all.

“I’m excited,” Pansy replied, wishing she sounded believable.

“We’ll have fun, you’ll see! We’re going to be best friends forever,” Celeste promised.

Pansy fell asleep with a slight pit in her stomach as she took in the warm touches of home that her roommates had. A crocheted blanket, a stuffed puppy, pink pillowcases. Snuggling into the bare, yet comfortable, Hogwarts-provided sheets, Pansy closed her eyes and thought warmly of her first friend. Despite the circumstances, sleep came easily as the Sorting Hat’s words reverberated through her mind, over and over and over.

Miss Parkinson, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Such a curious little mind, full of knowledge. It won’t be what you want to hear, but Slytherin is not the place where you’ll grow. No, like a plant, you must be nourished with sunlight and careful attention… you have a big heart full of love and loyalty, and your path will bring those deserving of your affections into your life. Better be… HUFFLEPUFF!

xxxxxxxxx

Draco Malfoy was far from the only curious person watching a large, hunched over Harry Potter speak to the elusive Pansy Parkinson. He felt his stomach drop as he watched the girl sprint out of the Great Hall once the feast had begun, but he had to give her props for holding on until the spotlight was on the food and not the sorting.

“That poor girl,” a voice muttered. Draco looked over to his cousin and raised an eyebrow.

“Something you’d like to share with the class?”

The fifth year squinted his grey eyes at his cousin, taking a look around before speaking. 

“I helped her onto the train yesterday, she was more than a bit twitchy. Maybe even go as far to say… socially inept. I thought she was a muggleborn.”

“Ophi,” Draco admonished with a look. “She’s a little girl.”

“She’s also Sacred 28, Draco. Maybe there’s a reason they kept her inside, I’m just saying.”

Draco gave his cousin a disapproving look. “You don’t need to start spreading that drivel, Ophi. You’re a prefect now, act like it.”

The neutral held up his hands in placation and moved down the table towards his yearmates. 

“What’s that about?” Theo asked, plopping down at the table and grabbing a slice of toast.

“Same rot as normal,” Draco sighed, looking back to see his boyfriend now fully sitting at the Hufflepuff table, much to the wide-eyed amazement of the two girls sat across from him and little Pansy Parkinson. He couldn’t recall being entranced by the Head Boy and Girl when he was a firstie, but also knew that the handsome Harry Potter was a different story entirely. The man inspired awe wherever he went just by virtue of being himself.

Before Draco could think much more on it, the delighted gasps of first years witnessing their first owl delivery sounded throughout the Great Hall. For the seventh and final year, his mum’s welcome-to-Hogwarts treat assortment dropped in front of him, leaving him to feel as well-loved as it always did.

Though he could only see their backs, he noticed how Hedwig dropped a package to Harry. It was hard to miss the snow white owl. 

Draco watched as Neville Longbottom walked over to his younger sister, a tiny Hufflepuff first year who was sat across from Harry and Pansy. The Gryffindor’s concerned and hesitant expression was easy to see, even from Draco’s vantage point a few tables over. He glanced across the table as him and his sister, Adalyn, dug through the box that their parents clearly put together.

Draco zoned out, making a mental note to owl his father later. Though, he was certain the man was already being notified of the Parkinson girl’s odd sorting as head of the Hogwarts Board of Governors. 

He stood up as the head table of his professors began to empty, eyes tracking Hermione Granger from where she was held in his uncle’s arms across the hall. The development, however shocking it was a few years ago, was nothing new to him. He’d had a few years to come to grips with his academic rival becoming a member of his family, but knew the sight was foreign to the muggleborn firsties who had no understanding of the classification system.

He hoped Harry would make it to class, but was also realistic in his expectations. The man wouldn’t leave Pansy until he was forced away from her by threat of bodily harm. He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders back; welcome to seventh year.

xxxxxxxxx

Pansy couldn’t help but feel like she was the star of her own book with how jarring her first day at Hogwarts was. She was amazed by the diversity of everything she came across… people had different colour skin, there were moving flowers that were much prettier than her mothers’ gardens, one of her professors was even part goblin!

What was most odd, however, was the way that some people were treated. None of the people were in her classes, but she couldn’t help but stare in the hallway.

The first was a boy in the hallway on the way to her first class of the year, charms. He was walking, but had fabric wrapped around his chest with a lead that was in the hand of a much taller student in Ravenclaw robes. What she couldn’t figure out was how no one else was staring. What was going on?

Thankfully, no one in her class was acting weird. It was a shared class with Ravenclaws, and she was grateful to have been dragged to a set of desks with her two roommates. She had people to sit with, and that made everything better.

Even with the voice of her mother screeching in her ears, she followed Addie and Celeste to the Great Hall for lunch. What harm would it do to sit and talk as they ate? She wouldn’t eat anything, but she would still have company and build her tentative friendships.

“Even lunch is a big to-do here,” Celeste said as she plopped herself down at the table, dropping her bag on the ground. Pansy couldn’t help but be envious of the girl’s black leather bag with pink zippers.

She was given her eldest brother, Perseus’, work bag that had been just the wrong side of worn. It wasn’t completely worn out, thankfully, but it was unsightly enough for him to buy a new bag. He wouldn’t let anyone think that Parkinsons couldn’t afford the best that money could buy. 

“Right? I didn’t believe Nev when he told me, but I’m so happy he was right!” Addie exclaimed, spooning mashed potatoes and peas onto her plate before mixing them together. Pansy had to hide her look of disgust. She hated peas.

“Where’s your plate, Pansy?” Elijah Shacklebolt, a fellow first year asked as he scooted down the table.

“Not hungry,” she shrugged, taking the moment to look around the hall.

She noticed that Harry wasn’t at the Gryffindor table, and tried her hardest not to let her shoulders slump. He was Head Boy for one, and seemed to have many friends from the way that everyone said hello to him. He didn’t have time to be with her, but he was still her friend, right?

A loud cry sounded, causing her to jump. Only her and a few of the first year boys craned their heads to find the noise which was sounding behind them at the Slytherin table. The table where she now saw Harry was sat. That observation was second to mind, though, to the crying girl near the front end of the table. She had dark brown hair and had her hand in a bowl of food that she then threw at the person sitting next to her. The girl’s cries only intensified as she was carried from the hall. What was going on?

“Stare much?” Kevin Abbott, one of her fellow first years asked with an amused smile.

Pansy looked down, blushing.

“C’mon Kevin, not everyone’s families have a million caregivers,” Elijah replied with a headshake.

“Your family is all neutrals, right Pansy?” Celeste asked kindly.

“Neutral what?” she asked, eyes wide.

Addie and Celeste turned to share wideye looks of their own.

“Erm, nevermind,” Addie said before shaking her head. “Oh! We have Herbology next with our head of house, Professor Sprout. I wonder what plants we’ll get to see!”

The 11-year-olds were clearly amenable to the conversation switch, but Pansy still found herself very confused and left out. What was going on, and more importantly, who could she ask?

xxxxxxxxx

It took her one month of confusion before she cracked. There were no books in the library and confusing scenes happening everywhere! She felt like she was in a book that involved everyone else in the world being in on a secret but her.

Pansy’s favourite time of the week was her Wednesday night hot chocolate meeting with Harry. The Head Boy was quite busy, Pansy found out, but he was able to get out of his Wednesday night obligations by penciling in an official meeting with Pansy. She didn’t know if he was joking, but it made her feel important.

“You’re late,” Harry greeted, two big mugs of hot chocolate topped with a swirl of whipped cream in front of him. She knew which hers was by the mini chocolate chips dotted all over it; Harry pinky promised not to tell her mother and father that she’d been indulging in sweets once a week.

Instead of the retort that she had in mind, Pansy broke into mortifyingly loud sobs.

“Aw, Pans,” Harry cooed, reaching out and pulling the girl onto his lap without a second thought. He was surprised by the speed in which she buried her face into his chest, but was more than happy to murmur softly to her and rub her back. It took about twenty minutes for her sobbing to stop, and Harry waited a few more minutes before asking the question on his mind. “Are you feeling better?”

She shook her head, pushing it further into Harry’s chest as though she could bury into him. As though she wanted to, Harry thought.

“I’m confused about everything,” she mumbled, words so quiet that Harry couldn’t hear them.

He pulled her back gently from his chest, heart breaking at the sight of her red, tear-filled eyes and snotty little nose. He pulled his handkerchief from his trouser pocket and dabbed her face as clean as he could without using his wand.

“Can you repeat that now? Was a little hard to hear when you were eating my shirt.”

Pansy giggled a little at that before turning somber again. “I’m confused… everything here is weird!”

“What’s weird?” Harry probed.

“People on leashes and drinking bottles and sitting in prams! Older people doing silly things!”

Of all things, Harry didn’t expect this level of bigotry from the little girl he’d come to adore.

Pansy could feel Harry stiffen under her, his body language less warm.

“Pansy, I don’t know how you were raised, but we don’t name call at Hogwarts. Especially for things people can’t help. I have half a mind to give you a detention.”

Pansy shook her head, standing up and running out of the kitchens with tear-filled eyes.

Harry sighed, stomach turning sour. Pansy had seemed so sweet and took her house affiliation as a sign that she was different from her family of notoriously close-minded neutrals. He was genuinely upset to find out how wrong he was and had to think about himself… did he put off such an air of distaste for others that Pansy felt comfortable coming to him to rant?

He left the two hot chocolates on the table, feeling slightly guilty as he made his way up to the library where he knew he could find Draco. He needed some comfort to get over this loss.

xxxxxxxxx

“Harry, you’re an idiot,” Draco groaned, shaking his head as he started packing up his books and parchment.

“What’d I do?” he asked incredulously.

“Assume that an 11-year-old little girl had awful intentions when she came to you for comfort and information. Where is she?”

“I’m- she’s…”

“Where is she?” Draco asked again, grey eyes flashing in annoyance at his bumbling boyfriend.

Harry looked around furtively before pulling out his beloved Marauder’s Map and finding the girl’s location. He groaned.

“Same place she was her first night,” he murmured.

“Lead the way,” Draco directed with the sarcastic flourish of his hand.

“She doesn’t like new people…” Harry said hesitantly. They’d had the conversation many times before, and Draco had always relented to Harry’s insistence that she be left alone. But Harry’s boorish Gryffindor tendencies had officially gone too far.

It was only a matter of tense minutes before the pair found themselves where Harry had found a crying first year on September 1 of that year. Once more, Harry heard Pansy’s sobbing before he saw her. He looked away guiltily from Draco’s sharp look and hand waving for him to get on with the show.

“Pans, it’s Harry…” he called quietly, knocking on the suit of armour like an idiot.

“Go away!” she replied. Draco had to hide a smile at the petulant vehemence in her voice.

“I’m sorry for earlier… can we talk? I have a friend here who might be able to help.”

Draco moved to shove Harry out of the way, bending down and hiding his frown at the sad sight of a curled up little girl.

“Hello, Pansy,” Draco said lightly. “My name’s Draco. Do you mind if I sit?”

“No,” she stuttered, not wanting to be rude to the blond man she always saw Harry kissing and hugging.

“Thank you,” Draco replied with a smile. “My parents know yours- Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. I’ve been over to Parkinson Place, but don’t recall ever meeting.”

Pansy shook her head, leaning her head on the heel of her hand.

“I don’t attend gatherings.”

“Why not?”

“I’m to marry someone from Russia, there’s no point in introducing me to people who I have no value to,” the girl replied easily, like it had been drilled into her head to the point where it had no meaning.

“Ah,” Draco replied, pinning Harry with a stare and hoping he’d get the meaning. Keep your mouth shut. “I’m sure that made it a bit hard, coming to Hogwarts without knowing anyone.”

Pansy nodded along, feeling like someone understood her. She looked up, unable to see Harry and thus feeling comfortable to speak honestly. “Harry was my friend… now he hates me.”

“Hate is a big word for such a little girl,” Draco murmured, hiding a smile at her indignant scowl. She really was adorable.

“He hates me! He said he was going to give me detention, I only asked a question…”

Draco shook his head, “I promise he’ll never give you a detention. I’ll give him one if he tries.”

Pansy giggled, light blue eyes opening wide in shock. “He’s Head Boy! He can’t get detentions.”

“I’m a prefect, I can definitely give him detention,” Draco promised.”

“Okay,” she giggled.

“I know we’re new friends, but maybe you can tell me what you’re confused about and I can help out.”

“It’s just weird here and no one has questions… people on leashes and in prams and I even saw a room with cribs near the potions lab!”

Draco nodded, rubbing his thumb across his chin. 

“That does seem confusing… did your parents ever tell you about being neutrals?”

Pansy shook her head.

“I see. What would you say about coming with Harry and I to find somewhere more comfortable to sit? I promise he’ll be nice.”

“Or he gets a detention,” she giggled, looking over to confirm that was still the case.

“A detention cleaning the Great Hall with a toothbrush and soap!” Draco promised, leaning down to help Pansy up.

“Sounds fun,” Harry said, receiving another furtive giggle from Pansy.

“Harry has something he wants to say to you,” Draco prompted.

Harry would have choice words for his boyfriend when they were alone if this didn’t work.

“Pansy, I’m sorry for not listening to you before judging your intentions. I hope you can forgive me.”

She couldn’t be embarrassed by the way she jumped into a startled Harry’s arms, squeezing him tightly. He was her first friend, and she wouldn’t give him up that easily.

“There’s my girl,” Harry crooned, unaware of Draco’s soft look towards the prayer.

Draco waited patiently for a minute as his boyfriend held the girl against his hip, whispering softly.

“Ready to go?” Draco asked, immediately noticing the way Pansy squeezed her legs together as Harry set her down. The Gryffindor had told him about the girl’s adorable tell and unwillingness to ever share that she had to use the restroom. Harry assumed it was because she feared that he’d end their time together if she broke it up with a bathroom break, and Draco got the same impression.

“Got your bag,” Harry said, leaning down to grab the shabby leather bag Pansy dragged around with her.

“I’ve to use the loo, anyone else?” Draco asked with a raised brow that Harry understood.

“Me as well,” Harry said, following Draco to the same set of washrooms he’d taken Pansy to on the night they met.

They were pleased to see Pansy head into the ladies room and waited patiently for her.

“All set?” Draco asked, receiving a shy nod.

Harry babbled about quidditch practice as they walked, expecting no reply and receiving exactly that.

“Trust me here, okay?” Draco said, knocking on a large stone door in a hallway she’d never been to.

A very tall, very regal man opened the door, a smile forming on his face.

“Harry, Draco, what can I do for you?” he greeted before following Harry’s eyeline and looking down. “Hello there! My name is Professor Black.”

“This is Pansy,” Harry introduced. “Pansy, Professor Black is my godfather and Draco’s uncle. Weird, we know. He is the classifications professor here at Hogwarts, and we thought it might be nice to have a cuppa with him.”

In a show of maturity his spouses would be proud of, Sirius showed no confusion or shock at his late night guests.

“I’m all on my lonesome tonight, so that works well for me. Come on in.”

Pansy could only stifle her curiosity for so long. As soon as Sirius sat down with a pot of tea, she asked.

“What’s classifications mean?”

“That’s a great question, Pansy,” Sirius nodded with a smile. The way that Harry and Draco protectively ensconced the girl on the cozy love seat didn’t escape his notice. “Did your parents ever tell you about neutrals, caregivers and littles?”

She blushed as she shook her head, feeling dumb for the millionth time that day. 

“No worries, my girl. That’s much more common than you think. I often find the beginning is a good place to start, but I’ll keep it brief since it’s late.

“Back in the 1480s, it was dangerous to be a witch or wizard. Any hint of magical ability was met with mobs and sometimes murder. While many of our people were dying out, there was also a strain of flu that rendered many young men and women unable to conceive children. It was a coming together of every problem that our people could have- one bad winter and we would’ve died out completely.”

Pansy couldn’t help the way she burrowed into Harry’s side, terrified and captivated by Professor Black’s story. She felt safe when his arm wrapped around her and couldn’t help but smile when she noticed that he wrapped his fingers together with Draco’s and held them against her hip.

“Magic is no fool, though, and did what it could to stay alive.”

“Was magic a person back then?” Pansy asked.

“Good question,” Sirius praised. “Magic has always been sentient- magic brings things to life, whether it’s this castle or the way that it lives inside of you. Similar to what muggles call evolution, magic realized that it needed to make our people better at defending themselves and their families. In 1503, we have the first documented caregiver and little pair. Though less and less couples were able to conceive a child, magic imbued the spirit and ingenuity of a child in witches and wizards and the protective drive of parents in others. This allowed homes to be protected and our people to come together as one cohesive body to defend against muggle attacks.

“Though we are much safer today due to the security of our institutions like Hogwarts and the Wizengamot, those traits haven’t died out. And that’s the classification system- we have neutrals, caregivers and littles coexisting for the greater good of the wizarding world.”

Pansy was reeling from the explanation. “This is real?”

“As a heart attack, little one.”

“Sirius,” Draco chastised, drawing a wink from the professor.”

“What are my parents and… and Pallas and Perseus?”

“Neutrals,” Sirius replied. “Some families, like the Parkinsons, have long histories of one classification.”

Pansy stiffened up at that, pulling away from Harry’s side.

“That’s what they said about Slytherin too… what classification do I have?”

Harry removed his hand from Draco’s own, bending his arm awkwardly to rub the panicked girl’s back.

“There’s a technical classification test on your fourteenth birthday, but that’s more for paperwork than anything. Physical and mental signs of a classification start to show up around one’s twelfth birthday, though most people aren’t surprised by what their child turns out as. It’s pretty silly to assume someone will just automatically love kids at age fourteen after loathing their little cousins for years, hm?”

Pansy asked the question they all knew she would. “What am I?”

Draco met Sirius’ eye with a dark look of warning.

“I’m not sure, love. I’ll talk to the headmaster about getting you into my class with the Muggleborn firsties so you can get some more information, okay?”

“What if I’m not a neutral?” She asked, voice trembling.

“I may be a stranger, Pansy, but I want you to trust me on something. Littles are a gift from magic; they are pure joy and precious. There’s no other class of people more protected in our society, and I can tell you that I’d run through hell for my little girl.”

“You’re a caregiver?”

“I am,” Sirius said with a smile. “My wife, husband and I have a natural born son, Ophiuchus, who’s a fifth year as well. He’s a neutral.”

“I met Ophi on the train, he helped me with my bags,” Pansy said quietly, trying to go through all of the information she’d been presented with. Husband and wife? A real son and a little?

“He’s a good boy. Our little one is a seventh year Gryffindor, Hermione Granger. Shocked us when we made such a strong connection, but she fits in perfectly.”

Pansy’s eyes got wide. “Hermione? She’s the best student that Hogwarts has seen! She’s a little too?”

Sirius smiled genuinely, though Harry and Draco knew he’s had this conversation with far more judgmental people before.

“She is. Just because someone’s a little doesn’t mean that they’re in their headspace all of the time… Hermione’s a good example of that.”

Pansy let out a yawn despite herself.

“I’m not bored, I promise… just sleepy.”

Sirius wanted to wrap the girl up in his arms, wondering how she was so sweet despite her upbringing. He couldn’t help but think of how parallel her story seemed to run to Regulus’. He hoped the pair could meet soon.

“I’m sure,” Sirius exclaimed, pasting a smile on his face. “I’ll talk to the headmaster tonight and be in touch with your updated schedule. I look forward to seeing you in my class, Pansy.”

The girl waved goodbye, smiling softly as they walked out.

“Pretty cool, isn’t he?” Harry asked with a grin. Pansy told the duo that she could walk back to the Hufflepuff common room herself, receiving twin snorts and eyerolls.

“Are you and Draco related? Even though you’re… kissing?” Pansy asked with pursed lips, her curiosity outweighing all else.

Harry let out a bark of laughter. “No, we’re not related. Sirius is my dad’s best friend, but he’s Draco’s mum’s cousin. A bit of a confusing family tree, but we’re not related at all.”

“Wrong,” Draco interjected. “We’re all related somewhere down the family line, wizarding communities up until about 100 years ago were so small that second cousins would marry their cousins.”

“Ew!” Pansy said with the shake of her head.

“That’s enough of that for tonight,” Harry replied, looking unimpressed. “Or forever, if you’ll grant us that peace.”

“It’s just a fact, Harry,” Draco scoffed with an eye roll. “I’m glad we could meet, Pansy. Harry’s told me so much about his favorite new friend that I’ve felt a little jealous.”

Pansy turned bright red, but couldn’t hide her pleased smile. “You can be our friend too! Maybe you can get hot chocolate with us?”

Draco grinned, “I’d love that, thank you for inviting me.”

They came to a stop in front of the Hufflepuff common room, and Draco was a perfectly impressed audience as Pansy showed him how to enter the living space. Harry kept it to himself, but really wanted to warn Pansy off against showing people how to get into her common room. It was extremely unsafe.

“Goodnight, Pansy,” Harry said with a wave.

“Night,” Pansy smiled sleepily, waving as she walked inside. “Wait!”

“What is it?” Harry asked, eyes wide behind his glasses.

“What are you two?”

Harry and Draco shared a look before the blond spoke.

“Caregivers,” he said with a small smile. “We’re both caregivers.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for reading! This is the second chapter of plot-building - one of my ageplay pet peeves is an unrealistic build up, so bare with me. Next chapter we'll get into it with Harry and Draco graduating and Pansy being classified :)

“What will you do for winter hols?” Harry asked.

Pansy shrugged her shoulders, “Go to the manor and read some books. Same as always.”

“Same, minus reading books,” Harry replied teasingly, drawing snorts from both of his bookworms. “How are your parents doing?”

Pansy shrugged again, this time slightly uncomfortably. “I’m not sure… they haven’t written me back.”

Draco sat up a bit straighter. “What about your brothers?”

“Perseus said everyone needed time to come to terms with my sorting back in September… they haven’t written since. I’m sure they’re busy.”

The caregivers shared a look over her head.

“I’m sure,” Harry soothed. “Dad said it’s been bonkers over at DMLE, so I’m sure they’re dealing with the same in other departments.”

Pansy looked at him like she had no idea what he was talking about before turning back to the essay she was working on for Transfiguration. The seventh years watched over her carefully, nervous about how calm and expectant she was for a normal holiday with her family. From what they could tell, nothing about the Parkinson family’s behavior was normal at all.

xxxxxxxxx

Unlike when she’d walked onto the Hogwarts Express earlier that year, Pansy walked off at King’s Cross during the December break with smiles and hugs all around. She’d never felt so loved and knew that when her friends promised to owl, they would.

“Where are your parents?” Harry asked, lugging both his trunk and Pansy’s off the train.

The girl craned her head, standing up on her tiptoes and still unable to see them. Not that she was tall enough to see over anyone’s chests, let alone their heads, but it was the thought that counted.

“Um, I don’t think they’re here yet,” she admitted. “An elf dropped me off for school, so maybe they’ll be back.”

Draco and Harry shared a horrified look, always thankful that Pansy was so much shorter than them that she didn’t notice. Harry had admitted to Draco a few weeks earlier that he had the strong urge to shake Pansy like a coin purse until she shared all of her secrets and sad stories rather than letting them out one-by-one at inopportune times.

“Why don’t you come wait with us?” Draco asked. “Our parents are still sentimental enough to show up even though we can apparate out.”

“Okay…” Pansy said hesitantly, not sure about meeting the pair’s parents.

“Harry!” a pretty redheaded woman called out, waving her hands like mad.

Pansy giggled as she watched the average-sized woman pull Harry into a hug. Next to them, Draco exchanged very posh air kisses with his mother. The first year loved the difference between the pair, it made them seem even more perfect together. They were like the fairytale couples she read about at the Hogwarts library in muggle books; they just fit together, like magic.

“Mum loves embarrassing him,” a girl murmured to Pansy. The Hufflepuff was shocked when she found out that Harry had a sister who was a fifth year Gryffindor, but had grown fond of her spunky personality and carefree spirit on and off the quidditch pitch. They looked nothing alike outside of their green eyes; Dorea Potter had chin length auburn hair that Pansy now saw matched her mother’s.

“I like it,” Pansy replied, watching the loving reunions with a small smile.

“You must be Pansy!” Lily Evans Potter greeted, drawing the girl into a tight hug much like the ones that her son loved to give her. Pansy never told him, but she was embarrassingly certain that Harry knew he was the first person to ever hug her. She hoped he didn’t tell Draco- she didn’t want them feeling sad for her.

“Good evening, Lady Potter,” Pansy greeted, the few lessons her mother did give her before Hogwarts echoing in her head.

“None of that, dear! Call me Lily.”

Pansy smiled back, but didn’t commit to that level of intimacy.

“Hello Pansy,” the beautiful Narcissa Malfoy greeted, her smile just as pretty as her son’s. Pansy felt much more comfortable with the way the woman squeezed her hands, but didn’t drag her into a hug. She could do refined intimacy, and that’s one of the reasons she felt comfortable around Draco from the get go.

“Hello, Mrs. Malfoy,” Pansy greeted, knowing that Lady Malfoy was Draco’s grandmother. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine, darling. Let me introduce you to my husband. Lucius, this is the famed Pansy Parkinson.”

Lucius Malfoy was an attractive man, a few inches shorter than his son, but just as handsome and stately. Pansy couldn’t help but wilt under his gaze, especially when a carbon copy of Harry, minus the eyes and some of the height, walked up beside him.

“Wonderful to meet you, Miss Parkinson. We’ve heard so much,” Lucius Malfoy greeted, pressing a kiss onto the back of Pansy’s hand.

Much like his son, James Potter snorted at the Malfoy male’s propriety and simply hunched over to pull the tiny girl into a hug.

“Hiya, girlie. I’m chuffed to finally meet you,” James whispered in her ear, embodying the same calming nature as his son.

“Where are your parents, dear? I haven’t seen them yet,” Narcissa asked delicately.

“We just did a lap and didn’t see them, mother. Mind if we wait here with Pansy? We can meet you at the restaurant,” Draco said, hoping those present would have the mind not to ask questions.

Lily and Narcissa shared a quick look before coming to the same decision.

“Why don’t we all wait? Tildy and Dobby can take your trunks home.”

Pansy looked up nervously, wishing she were alone with Harry and Draco.

“Everything okay, love?” Harry asked quietly, standing in front of Pansy so that their conversation would be blocked from being watched.

“You can leave… I don’t want you to miss your dinner,” Pansy murmured, hoping Harry could hear her over the cacophony of noise in the train station. “Please.” 

Harry knocked his knee against Pansy’s hip, marveling at how much larger he was than the tiny witch. “It isn’t your decision to make now, is it? We’re happy to wait… you’ll find that much like Draco, his mum and father don’t do anything they don’t want.”

Pansy couldn’t find it in herself to giggle. “Okay.”

By the time they were the last group in the station and even the train’s janitorial staff had left, Pansy’s eyes were welled with tears.

“C’mere,” Harry crooned, picking the girl up and plopping her on his hip. Draco moved to stand next to him, going along with the awkward way Pansy draped herself across his shoulder while staying attached to Harry’s hip. 

He knew his family was watching the scene but didn’t care. Their girl needed comfort.

“What do we do, Luc?” Narcissa asked quietly with wide, anxious eyes.

The aristocratic man turned to look at James.

“What would you say about contacting your department and letting them know a little girl was never picked up from King’s Cross?”

James smirked, “I’d be well-chuffed, Lucius.”

“Dorea’s going to the Weasleys,” Lily informed them, waving a hand at her daughter as an elf came to pop her over to The Burrow. “Do we expect her parents to show up?”

“Draco said her parents haven’t been writing back, but she didn’t seem too worried,” Narcissa said quietly.

“Are we even allowed to take her with us?” Lily asked, eyes blazing with simmering rage. “She can’t go back to Hogwarts alone, it’d crush the poor girl.”

“She won’t go back to Hogwarts,” Lucius promised. “And if she does, the boys will go with her.”

Lily smiled slightly at that, grateful for the caring hearts her two boys had. Draco wasn’t hers by blood, but she considered him just as much her son as Harry. She couldn’t wait until they were officially married.

Pansy jolted a bit at the sound of two loud cracks. She squeezed her eyes shut when she realized her bladder had let loose at the sound. Did Harry notice what happened? She couldn’t remember a time she’d wanted to sink into a hole and never come out more.

“You all right?” Draco asked quietly, but meaningfully. For some reason, Draco just knew things, often times even before she did.

Pansy nodded, face certainly bright red with embarrassment.

“Pansy, love, Aurors Flint and Diggory are here,” Narcissa called quietly.

Pansy couldn’t think about anything else but the fact that she probably got some pee on Harry as he put her down.

As quickly as she saw the wet spot on his heather grey long sleeve shirt it was gone. Like magic, and he hadn’t even moved his hand to clean himself.

Everything made sense to her when Draco’s voice sounded, though.

“We’re going to use the loo while you catch the good aurors up, Harry,” Draco said dismissively. “Be back in a moment.”

Pansy tried not to run to the washrooms on the far end of the platform, wanting nothing less than to have to talk to Draco.

“Pansy,” Draco said, slowing his strides to meet her own. “You need to tell us when you have to use the loo.”

The first year spluttered in embarrassment before deciding on a scowl. “Stop!”

“I’m not trying to embarrass you, but if I hadn’t noticed what happened then Harry would be walking around with a stain on his shirt.”

“Stop!” Pansy repeated, quickening her strides to run into the restroom. Much to her mortification, she made it just in time. Her knickers were still wet from earlier, but there was nothing she could do about that. Asking to go into her trunk meant questions, and questions meant admitting that she’d had an accident.

“Pansy, not to frighten you, but I’m in here.”

“Go away!”

“I pinky promise I’ll never tell anyone, but if you want me to dry your knickers, then you’ll need to hand them to me.”

“No!”

Draco sighed, “I’m trying to help you, love.”

Pansy took a breath and tried to channel a convoluted Gryffindor courage she wasn’t sure she had before taking off her light pink knickers and handing them to Draco. She was such a baby!

Her face was red as they walked back, Draco trying to hide his smile while Pansy scowled at the fact that her knickers felt even softer than they did earlier than day. Draco couldn’t just embarrass her, he had to do something nicewhile doing it!

“Pansy, meet Marcus and Cedric, “ James Potter introduced, waving a hand at the men beside him. Pansy knew he was the head of the aurors, who Harry said worked to catch bad guys and keep them away. It didn’t sound like a fun job to her even though Harry told her how fun his dad was.

“You’re Celeste’s big brother,” Pansy said quietly, looking up at the man she saw smiling back at her from photos on her roommate’s bedside table.

“I am,” the handsome man replied with a megawatt smile. “Celeste has told me so much about you, it’s wonderful to meet you in person.”

“My name’s Marcus Flint,” a soft spoken, yet large man greeted. “We’re both aurors for the Ministry of Magic. Can we ask you a few questions?”

Pansy looked up to Harry and nodded after receiving a small, encouraging nod from him.

“When’s the last time you spoke to your parents?”

The girl blushed a bit at having an audience for the conversation, but knew the quicker she spoke the quicker Harry and Draco could get to their dinner. She couldn’t fathom how annoyed her parents would be at having people come ask them questions, but 

“Well, I’ve written them and haven’t heard back,” Pansy answered honestly. “They told me they’ll be busy and not to expect too many letters.”

“Who dropped you off at Hogwarts at the start of the term?” Cedric asked.

“One of our elves,” Pansy replied meekly.

“To confirm, no one told you they’d be here to pick you up?” Cedric asked lightly.

Pansy hid her face in her hands as she burst into tears.

“I think that’s enough, gentlemen,” James directed, directing the pair away and knowing Lucius would follow.

“Sorry, sir,” Marcus Flint mumbled, looking far guiltier than a nearly seven foot caregiver had the right to. “We didn’t mean to make her cry.”

“You were just doing your job, Marcus,” James consoled, ever the fair boss. “Why don’t you both go file your report? We’ll handle her from here. Thank you for coming out.”

“Any time,” Cedric replied, as earnest as a Hufflepuff ever was. Also as transparent as one was; James looked at him, expecting what came next. “If she needs somewhere to stay, I know my parents and sister would be more than happy to host her.”

James smiled at the young auror. “Thanks, Cedric. I’ll be in touch either way. Now go on, I know your shifts are almost over.”

Lucius and James walked back over to their sons and wives and a very teary little girl.

“Change of plans,” Narcissa announced lightly. “Lily has graciously offered to host us for dinner.”

“Thank you, Lily,” Lucius said, receiving a warm smile in return.

“Harry, why doesn’t your father apparate Pansy home?” Lily asked. “He’s the steadiest and can take her past the wards.”

“Y’okay?” Harry murmured, brushing a hand along her hair from where she was wrapped around him like the giant squid. Pansy nodded, leaving Harry feeling comfortable with pushing her along. “That works, mum. Pansy, da is going to take you home and I’ll see you soon. We’ll grab your trunk.”

“Let’s get you going, girlie,” James said, mustering up more enthusiasm than he felt after a full day of work and then waiting around on the platform for two hours and counting. He’d been looking forward to their dinner at his favourite Italian restaurant, but knew there were bigger fish to fry right now than his next meal. “Now, we’re just going to hold hands and you’ll close your eyes. Then we’ll be home and ready to munch on some pizza.”

Though Pansy wanted to know what pizza was, she focused on the awkwardness of holding hands with Harry’s dad. Thankfully the man continued chattering up until he told her to stand still and close her eyes.

There was a moment where she thought that the apparition went terribly wrong, as Addie’s brother Neville warned the Hufflepuff girls about a few weeks earlier. It was like being squeezed through a far too small hole with only the presence of mind, but no sight, smell or taste. Apparition was the worst, most hopeless sensation she’d ever experienced.

After what felt like a lifetime, light flooded her eyes, and she sucked in a deep breath as soon as she was able to. Only to immediately throw up the little food that was in her stomach.

The rushing in her ears continued as she gagged. The more she thought about vomit, the more her tummy insisted on continuing to do just that.

She came back to herself minutes later, aware of both the tears streaming down her face and the fact that she was alone with Harry and Draco.

“Feeling better?” Harry asked from where he was knelt on the ground. Pansy looked down and noticed that her clothes had no puke on them, meaning that they’d cleaned her up with magic. Instead of feeling grateful, she felt annoyed.

“No!” she exclaimed, narrowing her eyes at the pair who looked far too worried. “You’re acting like I’m a baby! I want you to stop and just leave me alone.”

“Would you like to go back to Hogwarts?” Draco asked curtly. Even Harry turned to stare at him, unsure of where he was taking the conversation.

Pansy took a deep breath to curb her tears before shaking her head madly. “No.”

“Then you have to accept that you won’t be left alone,” Draco replied as though it was that simple. “If we do something you don’t feel comfortable with; if anyone at all does anything you don’t feel comfortable with… tell us and we’ll fix it.”

“I don’t like you talking to me like I’m a baby.” 

“Can you provide an example?” Draco asked, still looking unaffected from where he sat on the ground with crossed legs.

Pansy turned red. “The bathroom.”

Draco looked over to Harry who seemed confused. 

“I’d give another example if you don’t want to discuss this in front of Harry,” Draco suggested, voice much more closed off than Pansy was used to. He sounded as casually unaffected as he did when talking to her classmates and other random students in the hallway… she didn’t like it.

“Making me talk in front of your parents about private stuff… always telling me when to go to bed and when to study... You boss me around all the time!”

Draco raised his eyebrows, sharing a quick look with Harry before speaking again. “Have we ever done anything that’s hurt you or harmed your education, health or friendships?”

Pansy was quiet for a moment as she thought. “No.”

“What you consider to be bossing you around is simply the enforcement of lessons our parents gave us when we were little. And I’ll say it because I’m the mean old grump here… your parents didn’t do the best job teaching you those lessons, love. We’re just trying to help you succeed.”

The girl’s shoulders slumped like a marionette with its strings cut. She wished Draco was wrong, but… he wasn’t.

“I’m sorry if we’ve overstepped our boundaries at any point in a way that makes you uncomfortable, Pansy. But at the end of the day, Harry and I are caregivers. We have a natural instinct to coddle and protect everyone in our lives, and that means you.”

“You don’t treat Ronald Weasley or Blaise like me,” she pointed out rather petulantly. Draco hid his smile at the way she used Ron’s full name. It was yet another thing that the girl and him were aligned with… or rather against, and that was Harry’s best friend.

“Weasel and Blaise don’t fall asleep in the library or forget to go to supper,” Draco retorted. “How’s this… you start telling Harry and I what you like and don’t like in our relationship? We’ll do the same. Deal?”

Pansy thought about it for a moment. “Deal.” 

Harry let out a sigh. “After that, I need a cuddle. Anyone available?”

Pansy let out a giggle as Harry held his hands up, opening and closing his fists in askance.

“Take the girl, I’ll save myself,” Draco replied dramatically, scooting back on his hands to get away from Harry.

‘If you’re sure,” Harry replied, almost hesitantly. Pansy was shocked as Harry jolted forward, pulling her into his arms and holding her close to his body as he rocked back on his knees. “There we are… perfect cuddles.”

“I like your shirt,” Pansy said quietly, rubbing her face against the soft material as Harry laid down on the furry carpet in the living room.

“I like it too,” Harry replied, just as softly. “Now we just need to get you some soft clothes.”

Pansy’s wardrobe consisted of her school robes, a few stiff dresses she’d wear on the few times she went out with her parents, and two nighties. Draco was horrified when he found out the girl was bereft of the clothes most pureblood girls had, adding it to his long list of grievances against the Parkinson family. If he had his way, they’d pay in blood.

“You’re not picking out any clothes for anyone,” Draco said, a soft growl in his voice. “You’re the last person to trust when it comes to shopping for anything that isn’t food.”

Pansy felt far more comfortable than she should curling up on the much taller man’s relaxed body, her head tucked into his neck and legs dangling down near the top of his hips. She closed her eyes for only a moment, letting the tune of Harry and Draco’s light bickering fill her ears and the soft rise and fall of the Gryffindor’s solid chest match her own.

“Pansy… it’s time to wake up,” a soft voice called.

She groaned.

“Pansy,” the same voice called, elongating her name like it was a new song.

“Mmph,” she replied, digging her head further into the warm pillow she was resting on. Only moments later, she was taken from her resting place. “No!”

“Isn’t our petal so sweet when she wakes up?” a voice, Harry, teased.

“Stop teasing her, you dolt,” Draco reprimanded. If Pansy was more awake she’d give him an approving look. “Are you hungry, Pansy?”

The girl shook her head, before leaning it heavily against her legs.

“Let’s get you up to sleep, then.” Draco directed.

“Carry,” she commanded in a way that made her seem like the sleepiest princess on earth to Harry and Draco.

“As you wish,” Draco replied, just as imperiously.

Pansy could tell the moment that they stepped into the hallway since Draco’s shoes started clacking on the ground.

She only stiffened slightly at the sound of unfamiliar coos, trusting Draco to take care of her.

“Looks like someone’s tuckered out,” Lily crooned. If Pansy were to open her eyes, she would’ve seen the happy, soft looks of both Harry and Draco’s parents.

“She didn’t even make it to dinner,” Harry replied, shaking his head. “What room did you set up, mum?”

“Mipsy set up the room across from yours,” Lily informed him before looking at her fellow parents. “Draco can spend the night, but no funny business. You hear?”

Narcissa let out a small laugh at that, trying and failing to hide it behind her glass of wine. Pansy didn’t understand what they were talking about, and made a mental note to ask.

“And Pansy thinks we’re embarrassing,” Harry muttered.

The next thing Pansy was aware of was Draco shaking her slightly, imploring her to wake up.

“Pansy, you need to use the loo.”

“No.”

“The faster you go, the faster you sleep.”

“Meanie,” she muttered, stumbling into the bathroom and quickly using the toilet. How did Draco always know when she had to go? Was it a caregiver’s gift?

“Pyjamas are on your bed. We’ll be across the hall,” Harry said. “Goodnight, love.”

“Night night,” Pansy replied, moving like a zombie over to the bed. The door clicked shut and she had barely pulled her nightie over her head before she fell asleep in the pillowy softness of a comfortable bed.

xxxxxxxxx

Pansy would never consider herself one to have much of a personality before she entered Hogwarts. Her days consisted of reading, sleeping, eating, and staying unnoticed in the background; there weren’t enough interactions for her to know who she was. 

But thankfully, her time with her new friends at school and hols with the Potters and Malfoys were helping her discover exactly who she was.

The sheer amount of activities that Harry and Draco encouraged her to engage in over the days before Christmas left her exhausted, and she couldn’t even find it in herself to turn down an afternoon nap. Having fun was tiring!

It was Christmas Eve, and Narcissa and Pansy were making cookies in Malfoy Manor’s cavernous kitchen. Pansy had been sleeping at the Potters, but spending her days all over the place. 

They’d even gone to visit Lily’s parents who were Harry’s grandparents, but still insisted she call them poppy and gram. She was certain that would be her favourite day of all; they went to see a moving picture and ate the most delicious food she’d ever had. Harry said the food came from China, but Poppy claimed that it wasn’t authentic Chinese food. Either way, Pansy loved the noodles and sticky chicken even though she ended up with a mess on her face.

“How’d you learn to make cookies, Miss Cissa?” Pansy asked, tongue stuck out between her lips as she focused on dropping sprinkles onto a rapidly drying frosted cookie.

Narcissa looked over to Pansy with a look the girl couldn’t quite place. “I told you, call me nana, darling. Miss is far too formal.”

Pansy blushed, uncertain of the nickname until a warm, surprisingly clean hand rubbed her back comfortingly.

“Yes, nana.”

“Good girl,” Narcissa cooed, delighted to have a leg up on everyone else in the name department. “I learned to bake from my elf, Mipsy. We’ve been together since we were both quite young.”

“She must be very good at making cookies,” Pansy said, voice full of awe. “These look so pretty!”

“They do,” Narcissa agreed. “Everyone will be impressed by your decorating prowess.”

“Yours look better, though,” Pansy pointed out sadly.

“Oh no, darling. The comparison game is the last one you should play,” Narcissa softly chastised. “I think Harry and Draco would be pleased if you made them special cookies. We can present them after supper.”

“For dessert?” Pansy confirmed.

“Yes, dear.” Narcissa replied, leaning a hip against the counter as she watched a seated Pansy start to decorate two cookies.

“Harry’s is going to be a red and gold bell with lots of glitter! Just like his house,” Pansy narrated, getting more glitter onto the counter than the cookie. Narcissa took a mental note of the girl’s shaky motor skills and added it to her calculation of Pansy’s classification. After the past few days, she didn’t think that anyone would be surprised by the time she turned 12 next August. And if the adults engaged in a hefty bet for a week paid vacation on the most exclusive private island in French Polynesia, no one had to know.

“Draco’s will be a green snowman with chocolate chips for the eyes!”

“Beautiful work, darling. So creative,” Narcissa praised. “Maybe we should open our own bakery.”

“That would be fun!” Pansy replied, eyes lighting up. “As long as I don’t have to crack the eggs, that was yuck.”

Narcissa laughed, pressing a soft kiss despite herself on Pansy’s hair. She quite liked having the little girl around and was dreading their return to Hogwarts. She braced herself for a serious conversation with her fellow parents, Draco, and Harry before then; they couldn’t let Pansy slip away, but had to set the proper boundaries. She’d seen negotiations go awry far too many times.

xxxxxxxxx

“Hello,” Harry called, voice holding onto the world like he was singing. “Anyone home?”

“G’way,” Pansy slurred, pulling the comfortable duvet up tighter around her before realizing what day it was. “It’s Christmas!”

“There she is,” Harry replied, smiling next to a very grumpy looking Draco.

“Can I give you presents now?” she asked, extremely excited about finally having people to give presents to. The Parkinsons had a meagre celebration while her mother’s parents were still alive, but since they passed, Christmas was just another day. To find out that Harry and Draco wanted to exchange gifts had her more excited than ever.

“Loo and clean your teeth first,” Draco rasped, pointing a long finger towards the bathroom door.

Pansy blushed and scowled before jumping out of the bed and doing just that.

“Hard ass,” Harry muttered, shaking his head before Draco smacked his arm.

“You’d rather her wet herself in excitement when she sees everything that’s downstairs?”

“Okay, you’re right, as always,” Harry replied with a fond eye roll.

“Ready!” Pansy squealed, skipping over to stand in front of them. She looked precious in her knee length red nightie with a muggle photo of a furry green monster on the front. Pansy had loved watching the Grinch at a local cinema showing, and Lily had gone out to purchase the girl a nightie with the main character on it.

“Let me see those teeth,” Harry teased, bending down to peer into Pansy’s mouth.

“Not a baby!” she insisted, trying to hid her giggles when Harry tucked a finger into her cheek and pulled her mouth open.

“Minty fresh!” the Gryffindor exclaimed, booping Pansy’s nose with his now wet finger.

“You’re gross,” she replied, shaking her head as she skip-sprinted towards the stairs.

“Pansy,” Draco called firmly, causing her to stop in her tracks. “Hold onto the railing.”

“Okay,” she sighed, looking back pointedly as she held onto the railing and slowly made her way down the steps.

Draco simply smiled approvingly, watching as Pansy made her way carefully down the stairs. There’d be no broken arms on Christmas on his watch.

xxxxxxxxx

Pansy let out a melancholic sigh, squeezing her favourite new toy against her chest. She had received more presents in one day than she ever had in her life; if she had to pick a favourite, though, it would be a close tie.

She couldn’t believe it when she opened up a mushy, poorly wrapped package and saw a stuffed version of the dragon from the cover of Dragons Love Tacos. It was the softest thing she’d ever touched, too. She remembered the first time that Harry told her he didn’t like to read, but considered this his favourite book. She laughed so hard her tummy hurt when he read it to her for the first time, and proceeded to do the same every time thereafter. Especially the first time Draco had been present for Harry’s dramatic reading- she’d never forget his face and the way he asked Harry how he’d even found the muggle children’s book.

Her second favourite present was a blanket that Draco had an elf handmake for her in a colour matching her dragon. One side was acromantula silk and the other was a silky soft fleece. She’d been shocked when she initially opened the gifts she’d spent months yearning for before Harry quietly told her that he’d remembered the day she told him about Celeste and Addie having comforts from home while she had the boring, standard Hogwarts sheets.

It’d been many hours and three meals since she had first opened the gifts, but she was still feeling a lot of emotions. Her time at school had made it clear that the high high and low lows she’d felt emotionally since she was little were very much a part of who she was; there were so many times that she couldn’t help but overflow with what she was feeling before she’d even processed why she felt the way she did.

In the quiet of the Potter’s largest sitting room, the Christmas tree she’d helped decorate twinkling in the corner, she felt immensely guilty about the way she didn’t even think about her family until now. Did they miss her? Had they tried to find her?

What made her feel guiltiest was the fact that she had wondered many times over the past few days about why she was born to people who didn’t like her when Draco, Harry and Dorea had grown up with so much love. Why did they deserve it mor than her?

“Pansy, love? What’s the matter?” Draco asked, startling a loud sob out of her.

“I’m sad,” she replied, her wobbly, tear-filled voice the only noise in the room despite the amount of people in there.

“Come here,” Draco cooed, pulling the girl whose sniffles had been sounding through the room for the past few minutes into his arms. Pansy accepted the comfort immediately, shoving her wet face into Draco’s neck. He couldn’t even find it in himself to care that he’d pulled on a new sweater his mother had gifted him before dinner, the price of the piece far less important than his girl’s emotional state.

Harry smiled sadly at the pair, scooting closer to them on the long couch they’d been sharing, but not interfering.

“Why don’t they like me?” she sobbed quietly, her words muffled to everyone but Harry and Draco. “I tried to be good… I tried.”

Draco made the decision to stand up with the precious bundle in his arms, knowing Harry would follow him. He didn’t want Pansy to be embarrassed by both sets of their parents and Dorea listening into their conversation, but knew it was one they needed to have.

He didn’t speak until they were in a smaller reading room, cuddled close together on the couch again.

“Who is they, Pansy? Your parents?” Draco asked quietly, already knowing the answer before he felt her nod against his clavicle.

“Everyone can have children, but not everyone is equipped to be a good parent,” Harry answered in a voice that was much more serious than usual.

“They like Pallas and Perseus!” she whimpered, grateful for their advanced skills at deciphering Pansy-speak that helped them to understand what she said.

Draco wrapped his arms even more tightly around Pansy.

“I wish I had a good answer for you baby,” Draco admitted, using the term of endearment that had long been in his head for the first time. “But some people are just not deserving of you.”

“You have nice parents,” Pansy sobbed. “Is it because I’m bad?”

Draco pulled Pansy back from his chest, forcing her to make eye contact with him. “You’re not bad, you are such a sweet, good girl. They’re the silly ones for not recognizing how special you are.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, tears falling like a fountain.

“We pinky promise, petal,” Harry said, placing his hand over Pansy’s on Draco’s shoulder.

The reassurance had her crying into Draco’s shoulder once more, her pent up pain evident to both men.

Her cries became softer eventually, and both Harry and Draco couldn’t miss her next words.

“I wish you were my daddies,” she sighed, words slow and slurred in a way that had them on edge.

Despite their desire to tell Pansy that they fervently wished the same, they didn’t speak. 

Too much was at risk, knowing that Pansy could simply be a distraught neutral with a bad past. 

Giving her any inkling that she was a little before she came into her classification over the next few months was highly advised against, and their parents reminded them of that since they’d brought the girl home from King’s Cross.

It took Draco a few minutes to notice that a dozing Pansy was sucking on his sweater, something that must’ve been highly uncomfortable given the textured fabric.

Making a quick decision, Draco gently pulled the fabric out of her mouth in order to put her thumb in. The girl didn’t notice, continuing to sleep against his chest with her thumb bobbing in and out of her mouth.

“At least she didn’t change out of her pyjamas,” Harry said softly, eyes wide and gentle as he watched the love of his life with the most perfect little girl he’d ever known.

As they tucked Pansy into bed that night, their hearts were both anxious and hopeful for what lay ahead. Now, all they had to do was wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments keep me going - let me know your thoughts and if you have any wishes for this fic!
> 
> thiscitychickk.tumblr.com is where you can find me to chat :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a monster and I'm so sorry. Next chapter = what you've been waiting for. I love back story and I can't help it, but I promise we hop off the angst train next chapter!

Pansy couldn’t tell you when things started to go downhill her first year, all she could tell you was that they did.

Harry and Draco, however, could pinpoint the decline and every landmark that took place on Pansy’s descent to rock bottom.

xxxxxxxxx

The first major decline was in February, when Professor Black assigned each of his first year students a sixth or seventh year caregiver to share about their classification and answer any questions they might have. Most of the younger students spent their time trying to be classified by the older student, something that was strictly forbidden for obvious reasons. Pansy, however, looked forward to hopefully spending more time with Harry and Draco.

When Professor Black called out Harry’s name for someone else, Pansy’s stomach started to sink. By the time he’d called out Draco for Ellen Latham, all she could do was try not to scream in frustration. She didn’t want to be with Ginny Weasley! She wanted Harry or Draco. Why didn’t Professor Black put her with them?

That night, she was bursting at the seams with anger and sadness by the time she made it to the library for her Tuesday night study session with Draco. The boys encouraged her to spend time with her classmates, but Tuesday and Wednesday were her nights with the boys.

“How was your day?” Draco asked carefully, trying not to be amused at the pouting storm cloud of a girl in front of him.

“Not good!” Pansy replied, lip already wobbling.

“What’s wrong?”

“Professor Black didn’t put me with you or Harry!”

Draco swallowed a sigh. Him and Harry had, in truth, begged Sirius to give Pansy to one of them for the mentorship program, but the man had refused. He stated that their relationship was already unhealthy and dangerous to form with an unclassified student, and that he wouldn’t condone it. Even though he was just as upset as Pansy, Draco knew he’d have to calm her down.

“Who are you with?”

“Ginny Weasley,” Pansy pouted, rubbing her eyes.

“Ginny is one of Harry’s good friends. She’s very nice, Pansy. I think you’ll really like her.”

Pansy let out a sob at that, and Draco quickly threw up a silencing charm so that they wouldn’t be disturbed or kicked out of the library.

“I don’t want to be with her! I don’t want Ellen and Malachi to play with you, you and Harry are mine!”

It took all Draco had not to pull the now sobbing girl onto his lap. She was having a temper tantrum that didn’t look out of place on a little, but he knew she wasn’t one. Not yet.

“When you’re done crying I’ll be here to speak,” Draco said calmly.

“I’m just mad,” Pansy said in apology, lightly sniffling after a few minutes of heavy tears and a few fist bangs against the table.

“It’s okay to be mad, Pansy, but yelling is never acceptable,” Draco chastised lightly, trying to put on his prefect cap rather than his wannabe caregiver cap. “Now, let’s have a little chat. I was paired up with a firstie last year too, and I was able to answer a lot of his questions. That’s why Professor Black pairs people up… so they can get their questions answered.”

“Is he your friend?” Pansy asked, arms crossed and very much looking the role of a putout little girl.

“David is very nice, but he’s not my friend. I’m here to answer his questions still, but I don’t block off a night of the week to spend time with him like another person I know.”

“We play two nights of the week!” Pansy corrected, providing her own point without realizing it. Draco and Harry were endlessly amused by the way the girl considered their meetings and study sessions playing, and were heartened by the fact that she considered spending time with them fun.

“Exactly, silly girl! You are the only person I block nights off for… I’d say that makes you my best friend.”

Pansy’s eyes grew rounder, and she shyly smiled as she jumped up to engulf the sitting man in a side hug.

“You’re my best friend,” Pansy mumbled into his bicep. “Harry too.”

“I’m willing to share you with him,” Draco replied with a smile. “Now, come give me a proper cuddle and show me what you’re working on in class.”

xxxxxxxxx

Pansy really liked Ginny Weasley, much to her surprise. That’s why she was so shocked to see a boy hurting her in a corridor on one March Wednesday while she was waiting for Harry to meet her.

Her brain blanked out as she watched Ginny, sweet, funny Ginny, whimpering while an unknown person held her against the wall. The Hufflepuff was close enough to see that Ginny’s shirt and outer robes were gone, and it was terrifying. Pansy was so frightened; what kind of person at their school would want to hurt Ginny in a hidden corridor. She needed Harry!

Pansy scurried down the hallway, mind calm enough to keep her movements as quiet as she could. She knew that Harry would be coming from his common room, so she would bump into him any second. The moment that he came into view with Draco, which was a surprise as he said he had prefect rounds, her eyes filled up with terrified tears.

“You need to help! Someone’s hurting Ginny down the hall!”

Harry and Draco straightened up, sharing a look.

“What happened?” Harry asked, taking a breath and assessing the situation before running in headfirst. Potter men were known to act first and think later, and he was doing his best to rein in his hotheadedness these days.

“Someone took Ginny’s shirt and robes and and and they’re holding her neck! She’s hurt too, she was saying please and no more!”

“You go,” Draco said, shoulders relaxing now that he knew Ginny was in no real danger.

Even from all the way down the long hallway, Pansy could watch what was happening. She was surprised to see that the guy hurting Ginny was Blaise! Ginny had shared that he was her boyfriend after Pansy had asked why she kissed the boy sometimes. Why would someone who she likes hurt her?

“Draco!” Pansy gasped, eyes wide. Draco was caught between amusement and anger at what Ginny and Blaise had subjected Pansy to, but was rational enough to react to the little girl and not his own feelings. “That was Blaise! Why was he being mean to her?”

“I’m not sure he was being mean to her, sweetheart,” Draco replied lightly, rocking back and forth on his dragonhide loafers.

“I saw it!” Pans replied, digging her heels in. “He took her shirt and held her neck!”

“Sometimes situations are different than they first appear… Harry will be able to handle it, hm?”

“Yes!” Pansy agreed with a serious nod. “Harry’s really strong and brave, that’s why I went to get him.”

Draco swallowed a coo at the girl’s fawning words. He knew Harry would be a puddle on the floor when he heard how much trust Pansy, their untrusting girl, had gained in him.

“I’m proud of you,” Draco praised. “You never want to do something dangerous by yourself, smart girl.”

Pansy looked down and blushed, head only popping up at the sound of footsteps. What was weird about the trio walking towards her was that Ginny and Blaise were holding hands, though her face was red. Did Pansy not understand something? Was Blaise not being mean after all?

“Ginny and Blaise have a meeting with Professor Black, but we’ll see them soon,” Harry said, both explaining to Draco that he was sending the couple to get reamed out and letting Pansy know everything is okay. She was slightly hurt that Ginny didn’t stop to say hi and give her a warm hug, but maybe she was late for her meeting.

“Is Ginny okay?” Pansy asked anxiously. Draco hid a smirk at the way Ginny’s shoulders noticeably hunched as she walked by, clearly guilty and ashamed at getting caught in the act.

“She’s fine, petal,” Harry promised. “We’ll grab our hot chocolate then go see Professor Black.”

Even though she had a million trillion more questions, Pansy just nodded. She really wanted hot cocoa.

xxx

Harry had grown up with a bit of hero worship for his Uncle Sirius. The man was more than his godfather, he was one of the coolest people Harry had ever met; from his long hair to his designation, Sirius personified everything that Harry wanted to be.

Now that he was entering adulthood, though, the rose-coloured glasses had been ripped off when it came to every parent figure in his life.

The conversation that took place following Pansy’s discovery of a shagging Blaise and Ginny was… not the one that he’d thought Sirius would give the girl. Draco was fuming days later, and Harry was honestly scared that Draco was going to break up with him solely for being somewhat defensive of Sirius.

To Draco’s surprise and delight, though, Harry was just as pissed at Sirius as he was.

Pansy had been in an awfully quiet, contemplative mood over the past three weeks, something that Harry and Draco felt they had little time to rectify as they studied for their N.E.W.T.s and tried to figure out their lives post-Hogwarts. Which is why, of course, Harry wasn’t surprised when everything turned to shit and didn’t get better.

Objectively, he could understand that Pansy was not his. Merlin knows that his parents, his professors, Draco’s parents, and his friends had reminded him enough. No, she wasn’t his sister, she wasn’t his daughter, hell, she wasn’t his longtime friend, but he cared about her. A lot. 

So watching the way that she caved in on herself over the proceeding few months hurt his heart. He knew that there was nothing that he could truly do to help Pansy; she wasn’t his to help legally, and her parents hadn’t rescinded guardianship of her. Despite the facts that led him to the logical place of ‘there is nothing else that you can do,’ Harry couldn’t help the guilt that he felt when he and Draco packed up to leave for the Easter holidays.

Pansy’s parents hadn’t replied to his and Draco’s owl requesting permission for her to spend the hols at their manors, and Dumbledore had warned them not to further intervene when they asked if he’d grant them permission to take the girl home for the two week holiday. Not that they’d clued Pansy in on their attempts of course, which sounded good in theory but left them feeling like shit when they realized she’d be alone at the school for two weeks with only the remaining professors for company. No one stayed at the school for Easter holidays, and Harry and Draco weren’t able to stay either. 

Abraxas Malfoy, Draco’s grandfather and the longest serving Minister of Magic in history, was finally stepping down from his role in the public eye. One of his deputies, a man named Tom Riddle, had been elected to take his place, and both seventh years knew they would have to be at the ceremony. They also knew, however, that any explanation they gave to an already sullen and emotional Pansy wouldn’t make things better.

“Promise not to eat too much chocolate, okay?” Harry asked in a tone that was much lighter than he thought himself possible of. Pansy was dressed in her school uniform despite it being a Saturday, still without the casual weekend clothes that all of her classmates had.

“I promise,” Pansy whispered, looking down at her feet. The Great Hall was almost empty as most students were heading to their dorms to grab their cloaks and head to the Hogwarts Express. Harry and Draco had packed up early in order to have time with Pansy before leaving.

“Caesar will be waiting in the Owlery if you want to send us any letters. We’ll write you every day, okay?” Draco said firmly, eyes trained on Pansy even though she was looking underneath the table. He wasn’t a patient man, and seeing her in such a state had him feeling out of control. It was an awful way to leave for what should’ve been a restful, congratulatory family holiday.

Pansy nodded. She had nothing to say, but she wanted to cry and scream. Truly, she was torn between wanting Harry and Draco to leave her alone and never let her go. It was a tightrope to walk.

Harry sighed, not that she noticed. Draco gave him a warning look, however.

“We’ll miss you, petal. Can I get a big hug?”

Harry and Draco moved to stand up, both curious and nervous over whether their normally affectionate girl would hug them goodbye. They understood why she’d be upset with them, honestly, they were upset with themselves.

To their surprise, she stood up on the bench to launch herself into Harry’s arms, wrapping herself around him like an octopus. Draco moved to smooth out her flipped up skirt in case anyone walked into the large room, but watch his loves with a small, sad smile on his face.

Harry could feel the soft sobs against his shoulder, but was helpless to stop Pansy’s tears. They were truly caught between a rock and a hard place; until the girl was classified and disowned by the Parkinsons, there was nothing that anyone could do to better her quality of life. Wizard law really was shit and archaic in a lot of ways. There was way too much trust in the ability for parents to love and care for their children. 

“Give her here, I need a cuddle,” Draco instructed a few minutes later. Harry reluctantly shifted Pansy into the blond’s arms, and Draco was relieved to see the way that Pansy hugged him just as tightly as she did Harry. They joked about it often, but they were both quite certain that she didn’t have a favourite between them. Not yet, at least.

“Don’t forget to write me,” Pansy whispered, breathy tears soaking up the fine wool of Draco’s early spring robes.

“Of course not,” Draco promised just as quietly. “Of course not. We’ll miss you so much.”

Draco steeled his jaw as the sounds of students heading out the front doors of the school started sounding, knowing that he and Harry needed to leave.

“We’ve got to head to the train now, Pansy,” Draco said calmly, knowing any emotion would set the girl off even more. “We’ll owl you at breakfast.”

“Okay,” Pansy replied, sucking in a deep breath as she tried to be brave like her favourite Gryffindor.

“My brave girl,” Draco praised quietly, hopefully quiet enough that Harry didn’t hear him. He was so focused on Pansy that he missed Harry’s fond smirk.

“We’ll see you soon, Pans,” Harry said, knowing he needed to get moving before they missed the train.

“Bye,” she said quietly, curling in on herself where Draco sat her back down on the bench. Pansy didn’t have the courage to look up as Harry and Draco walked out of the Great Hall, knowing she’d start sobbing and beg them to take her with them. Now that she’d experienced what it felt like not to be alone, she didn’t want to be by herself anymore. Her heart hurt at the thought of being alone for two more weeks while Harry and Draco got to play with Dorea, nana, Lily, James and Lucius. Two weeks was a long time, and she hoped she could survive it.

xxx

Pansy was not doing well. After such a special Christmas holiday, she had high hopes for the second half of her first year. Don’t get her wrong, she was having fun; Addie and Celeste were the best roommates ever, and she even thought that Ginny was fun to play with outside of the gross touching with Blaise.

Speaking of that… Professor Black had explained to Pansy that most people would find someone that they liked to kiss and touch, which was what Ginny and Blaise were doing when she'd walked past them. The problem, however, with what Pansy saw was that physical touching was strictly prohibited in the halls of Hogwarts. Pansy cared less about the rules and more about the fact that Professor Black told her it was okay for people to want to kiss and touch, more than that… it was normal. 

Which, once again, made Pansy feel like an outcast. Even Addie and Celeste giggled about how cute Elijah Shacklebolt and Mykian Flint were. They looked normal to Pansy… just like boys. So when Kelly Brocklehurst came up to Pansy before Herbology a few days after the Ginny incident and said how obvious it was that Pansy had a crush on both Draco and Harry, her tummy hurt and hadn’t felt better since. Even her friends from other houses giggled when the girl and her fellow Ravenclaws brought up Pansy’s so-called crush on the seventh year boys in the hallway, whether Pansy was around or not.

Pansywas still confused by the way her classmates were treating her and being so mean about her friendship with Draco and Harry. Why would people she barely knew say things that weren’t true in the first place? Celeste was adamant that it was bullying, and that Pansy should tell a professor. Addie was a bit more reserved, but thought she should tell Harry or Draco what was going on. Pansy refused, of course. The boys had enough going on with their exams and finding a job; they didn’t need to deal with her silly problems. She could handle the giggles and smirks on her own, even if it meant she had less people who wanted to study and sit with her.

Being alone at the castle with just a few professors and students was not fun. Thankfully, the elves liked to play with her and let her bake cookies with them in the kitchen. She only cried a little as she thought about making Christmas cookies with nana just a few months earlier. The hugs that her elf friends gave her were nice, but Harry and Draco’s hugs were much nicer.

Pansy also found that sleeping alone again was not fun. Especially when Kevin Abbott’s comment about the ghosts coming in to watch her sleep wouldn’t leave her head. That was probably why, as she woke up for her first full day alone, she realized that she had wet the bed.

She wished that she could say it was the first time, but she would be lying. Getting to the bathroom on time had never been easy for her, and she knew that was one of the reasons that her parents didn’t like spending that much time with her. After years of wet sheets, they’d commanded the elves to stop informing them of when Pansy wet. Her mother said it was disturbing to her, so Pansy suffered in silence. The elves discovered that if she didn’t drink after 7:30, she would normally be fine. Now, though? Nothing was helping. She was alone, and her dreams were scary. All she could do was hope that the elves who cleaned the rooms at Hogwarts still worked during holidays.

xxxxxxxx

Harry loved the Easter holidays solely because of the fact that it was casual. Winter hols were always full of pomp and circumstance; there was a rush to see all of his family and Draco’s, and everyone always wanted photos, which meant getting dressed and posing for what felt like hours. But Easter? Though they didn’t actually celebrate the muggle holiday, he was able to spend time with his parents and Dorea outside of the pressures of school.

As he sat around the extremely large table at Minister Riddle’s swearing-in dinner, he couldn’t help but squeeze Draco’s hand as he thought about who was missing from the table. The new minister and his husband, Severus Snape, had two littles, Regulus and Rabastan. The two boys were sat in booster seats on either side of the minister at the head of the table, not quite young enough to sit in high chairs, but not old enough to use normal chairs. The boys had been a staple at most gatherings Harry had gone to growing up, with Regulus being the biological younger brother of Sirius.

The pair’s relationship was always interesting to Harry, especially since he knew how surly and protective Regulus’ caregivers were. Regulus, for the most part, treated Sirius as he was no more than one of his many uncles. It worked well for them, and the little clearly had enough on his plate in the sibling department with Rabastan. Rabastan Riddle, formerly Lestrange, was around five in his headspace, and the boy never stopped moving. It was always amusing to watch Uncle Sev snap at the boy and receive pushback. The dark-haired potions legend could instill fear in almost anyone, except his sons it seemed. It worked out well that he had a similarly strict husband; Rabastan needed all the structure he could get.

The sound of a fork clinking against a champagne glass sounded, and Harry looked to see now former Minister of Magic Abraxas Malfoy stand up to speak. Draco’s grandfather had been the longest serving minister ever, which was attributed to his ability to make a deal with any nation and keep their world prosperous. As pompous as Harry found the Malfoys in many regards, he knew that they could do far worse than Abraxas as a minister.

Harry listened intently through the man’s speech, knowing that he was clearly happy to step out of the public eye and have Tom fill the role. The man was someone that Harry only really knew about through his father’s stories. The infamous tale of Regulus’ presentation in the Great Hall, an extremely public place for such a reserved little, where everyone stood stock still outside of Apprentice Riddle. That had catapulted the half-blood into the public eye for the first time, and his ability to work seamlessly between departments at the ministry had made him a lock for a higher-level position. The fact that he was a caregiver to two Sacred 28 members alongside the creator of the Dragon Pox cure and lyncanthropy inhibitor didn’t hurt, either.

Dinner continued on, a delicious, but extravagant affair despite the familiar company. They were finishing up dessert when a pop sounded, drawing a shocked cry out of a clearly sleepy Regulus.

The elf, dressed in a Hogwarts tea towel, popped over to Sirius, eying the large table that it clearly didn’t expect when apparating to the man. Harry kept his eyes locked on Sirius’ face as the elf stood on its tippy toes to whisper in his ear.

Unable to do anything but notice the way that the man’s face turned concerned and contemplative at whatever he’d been told, Harry started fidgeting in his seat. He hoped that his father, the nosiest man on earth, would ask what was going on. He was grateful for his father’s lack of tact when he did exactly that.

“Castle burning down, Padfoot?” James asked, oblivious to the way Regulus and Rabastan’s eyes widened at the hyperbolic question. Snape shot the man a glare before soothing his sons quietly.

Sirius shook his head, pulling his hair into a ponytail.

“Nothing that exciting, mate. I’ll be back.” The man only stopped to kiss his spouses’ foreheads and Hermione’s cheek before running a hand through Ophi’s hair and taking the elf’s small hand and apparating out.

“Do you think it’s-” Harry started.

Draco shook his head, though his jaw was tight. “Even if it is, there’s nothing we can do. She wrote this afternoon, I’m sure she’s fine.”

“You’re right,” Harry relented, however painful it was. “We’ll be back in five days, anyway.”

Draco ran a soft hand over Harry’s, having no words to comfort his boyfriend. The seventh years missed a quick and worried glance from Remus, the wolf having overheard the elf’s whisper thanks to his hypersensitive hearing.

Five days, Harry though as he stabbed a piece of flourless chocolate cake onto his fork. He could handle five more days.

Xxxxxxxxx

Pansy was happy that the elves would bring her food in her room and Harry and Draco’s owls would come tap on her window, because she didn’t quite feel like leaving her room. She didn’t feel like eating or writing either, but knew that Harry and Draco would be sad if she didn’t reply to them. So, despite her sadness and seemingly never ending tears, she wrote them back.

Until today, when the Daily Prophet arrived at her window. She didn’t subscribe to the publication, but the headline that blared SPECIAL AFTERNOON EDITION: TOM RIDDLE SWORN IN AS 35TH MINISTER OF MAGIC made it clear why she was receiving it. The front was all photos and very little text. Tom Riddle looked to be a very handsome man, even when he was in the long and baggy ceremonial robes. He was stood next to Draco’s grandpa in the big photo; even if she didn’t know that for certain, the hair would make it a dead giveaway. The man looked exactly like Draco, and it made her heart hurt.

The next photos were boring and filled with people she didn’t know; government people, probably. But her stomach sank as she looked further down and saw Harry and Draco holding two little boys on their laps, the photo showing the way that they held the boys’ hands together to make them clap. The boys laughed at the movement, and Harry and Draco shared a soft smile. All caught on camera, for Pansy to watch over and over again. Something about their expressions had her realizing that they were littles and not toddlers, which made the sad feeling that had been building in her tummy for days even worse. There was no surprise at the sob that bubbled out of her chest; all she seemed to be able to do lately was cry.

It was still light outside, but Pansy had been running through her few pairs of pyjamas for days. Today was the Grinch nightie from Lily, which just made her even sadder. She’d already wet the bed in it once, but the elves were able to wash it and make it good as new. She had wet six of nine nights she’d been at Hogwarts alone, a new low for her. Everything added up to her feeling useless and pitiful and alone and just sad. So so sad.

As she curled up in her bed, Taco’s fluffy body soaking up her tears, she hoped that she’d wake up dry and sleep long enough that it was the day everyone came back. She didn’t want to be alone any longer.

The second she woke up, however, she could tell that it wasn’t the day everyone was coming back. For one thing, it was pitch black out; no one was coming back to Hogwarts at night, sadly. The second one was that she was all wet. Again.

“Bingo?” Pansy whimpered in the darkness of the room, heart lifting at the sight of light and the sweet elf who cleaned her room.

“Miss Pansy,” the elf crooned softly. “How is Bingo being helping?”

The girl blushed, much more evident now that the elf had lit the lamps in the room. She was silent, hoping the elf would be able to figure out what was happening as she did over the past few nights. She wasn’t sure what elf had cleaned her damp knickers and sheets over her time at Hogwarts, but no one had ever mentioned it to her. Not until now, when she was one of the only students at the school.

“You is okay, little miss… Bingo promises. Bingo is starting a warm bath and her sister Zilna will clean the bed. Come with Bingo.”

Pansy nodded, stumbling as she stood up from the bed after hours of not moving, but eager to follow the loving direction of someone.

The first year almost forgot what had happened by the time the bath was over, but as she stepped out and was wrapped in the magically warmed towel by Bingo, she remembered that it was still night and she still had hours alone in the dark. Hours where scary dreams of Draco and Harry laughing at her and leaving her took place. Dreams of their parents ignoring her when she ran up to hug them, even nana and Lily. Weird, inexplicable dreams of herself with a pacifier in her mouth, sitting in a room while people walked by and shook their heads, but no one ever came into play with her. Utterly alone.

“Zilna is cleaned the bed and nightgown of little miss,” an elf that looked the same as Bingo exclaimed. “I is helping her get dressed.”

The elf helped Pansy redress in her favourite nightie and a clean pair of knickers before magically drying her hair. Pansy was surprised to see it growing out to her shoulders; her mother had always kept it short, saying that no one should have to spend time on her wavy hair. She liked the way it looked now that it was longer, and didn’t want to get it cut. She was learning just how wrong her mother was on a lot of fronts, hair being one of the least offensive fronts.

“Little miss, there is being two peoples here to speak in the common room,” Zilna said.

“Who?” Pansy asked with wide eyes. She was shocked as the elf just grabbed her hand and apparated her, though she felt no pain or squeeze. Elf magic was so weird.

She was shocked to see Professors Black and Sprout in front of her. Professor Black was dressed in fancy robes, his hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Her head of house was dressed as casually as always, in a pair of black robes with magically appearing sunflowers on them.

“Pansy, love, why don’t you sit?” Professor Black suggested, pointing to the comfy chair directly across from the couch where they sat. Despite its emptiness, the common room’s fireplace was roaring, and all of the lamps were lit. It felt far less scary and lonely than it did when Pansy had been trying to read in it, alone, over the past few days.

“Haven’t seen you at meals these days, dearie,” Professor Sprout started, a concerned look on her chubby face. Pansy really liked the woman, and was extremely interested in Herbology. She didn’t like the scary plants, like Devil’s Snare, as much as she did the pretty flowers and fruits and vegetables that they learned about. She didn’t know if she was any good at the class, but she tried as hard as she could and always talked to Addie’s brother Neville about what she was learning.

“I’ve been slee- tired,” Pansy replied, blushing lightly. 

“You’ve been sleepy for nearly ten days?” Professor Black asked with a raised brow, throwing back the word that Pansy had tried to hide her use of.

She shrugged, looking down. This was the last thing she needed right now.

She missed Professor Sprout, a neutral, shooting the caregiver a reprimanding look. Sirius ignored it, however, knowing that a bit of tough love was what the girl needed right now. 

“I know that this isn’t fun to talk about, love, but at Hogwarts the elves have a few rules laid out for when they need to contact professors. Especially on matters of students’ health. Why do you think that the elves contacted us?”

Pansy had to think for a minute. She’d been eating a bit of what they brought her… she wrote Harry and Draco back… she did her schoolwork… what could it be?

She shrugged again, looking very little. Sirius wanted to bundle the girl up in his arms, if he was being honest, but knew that wasn’t his job right now. Who knew that he’d have to be the bearer of bad news as a professor? No Seer could’ve predicted this would be one of Hogwarts’ most troublemaking student’s future.

“Have you had some trouble making it to the potty?”

Pansy gasped despite herself, her face turning redder than red as tears burned at her eyes.

Professor Sprout cut in, having been party to these conversations a few times over the years. Prior to Sirius, the classifications professor had been a woman, which meant that she could have these conversations with female students alone. As a rule, the ministry required Hogwarts professors to speak to underage and unclassified students on sensitive matters in male-female pairs, which meant that her role right now was to smooth out some of Sirius’ rough edges.

“It’s perfectly normal, dearie. I’m sure we’re the last people that you’d like to talk to this about, but it’s our obligation as your professors to make sure everything’s okay. That’s why we have what we’ve coined the seven strike system; if there are sleeping troubles seven days in a row, the elves let a professor know.”

Pansy remained silent, further hunching in on herself. Embarrassment took a backseat to fear. What if they kicked her out of Hogwarts? Or tried to contact her parents? 

Sirius swallowed his own sigh. He’d rather be eating whatever decadent dessert the Malfoy elves had whipped up; he only hoped that Remus or Marlene saved him some. Then, of course, guilt kicked in; Pansy was stuck at Hogwarts without a friend or loved one in sight. He remembered those days from him and Reggie’s youth and knew that despite missing out on dessert, his life could be a lot worse. That’s why he took this job, after all.

“It’s getting close to bedtime, but we have a few steps we can take. Long term, we can Floo over to your parents to see about getting you classified early. That can open the door to answering some questions and figuring out what’s going on.”

“Does it hurt?” Pansy asked softly.

Sirius shook his head, not that Pansy was looking. “No, love. It doesn’t hurt. A healer who specializes in one of the two classifications will do a quick test with their wand and then ask you some questions. It takes about half a day in some cases, but it doesn’t hurt.”

“Just do that.”

Sirius was surprised to see she wanted to get classified, thinking she’d be far more timid without Harry and Draco there to help her make decisions.

“I can owl your parents tonight, it’s early enough that they’ll be awake.”

“They won’t answer,” she sighed, stating that sad fact like it was a foregone conclusion.

Thankfully, Sirius had written the book on dealing with shitty parents.

“Thankfully this isn’t our first duel, darling. We’ll give them the mandatory 12-hour waiting period before the minister has the power to sign off on your classification exam.”

“Can Harry and Draco come?”

Sirius swallowed his groan. “We’ll have to see, love. I can certainly let them know, though.”

“Okay,” Pansy whispered, looking far meeker than any 11-year-old should. “Am I in trouble?”

“Of course not! We just want to make sure you’re doing well and know that we’re here to help. I’m sure you feel a bit silly bringing problems of a personal nature up to professors, but that’s what we’re here for,” Professor Sprout said softly.

“Now, why don’t you head on up to bed?” Professor Black suggested.

Pansy sighed despite herself, shoulders slumping even further. Sirius would’ve laughed at the sad sight of a little girl trying to skirt her bedtime if he didn’t think it was so alarming.

“Why don’t you want to go to bed?” he asked.

“It’s dark and scary… Kevin said the ghosts are going to watch me sleep since I’m alone,” Pansy squeaked out, a shiver moving through her body at the thought of being watched.

“It sounds like Mr. Abbott was trying to be funny. There are no ghosts watching you sleep, either,” Professor Sprout promised, getting a nod from Sirius. “If you’d like me to come up with you, I can show you how to dim the lamps in your room to help you sleep better.”

“Please,” Pansy was grateful to hear from a professor that ghosts weren’t watching her sleep. She trusted Professor Sprout’s word much more than Kevin Abbott’s.

“I’ll be here for breakfast at nine tomorrow, I expect you to come share some hot cocoa with me,” Sirius said, receiving a shy wave from Pansy in reply.

The girl felt dumb when she saw how easy it was for Professor Sprout to dim the lights - she could’ve been sleeping easy all along! After the cheery woman left, Pansy went to the loo and sat on the toilet for a long while to make sure she got everything out of her system. The last thing she needed was to wet the bed again, especially now that she knew Bingo and the other elves were notifying her professors.

Sleep came much easier than she thought, drifting to sleep with a warm feeling in her tummy at the thought of her two professors caring enough about her to see how she was doing. Her mother had always told her to keep her head down and never draw attention to herself, whether through forming friendships or doing better than average in class, but she had to admit, even though it was because of something embarrassing, having people check in on her felt good. 

xxxxxxxxx

Pansy tried to breathe in and out as she sat in the brightly coloured room at St. Mungo’s, but couldn’t help the way that the pretty paintings on the wall blurred with her tears.

“Good mo- oh dear,” a warm voice said. “You’re okay, let’s breathe together… try to match my breathing. Good, good work! In and out…”

Pansy felt herself calm at the soft hands of the dark-haired woman in front of her, tear-filled eyes kept intently on the stranger's mouth as she tried to breathe as deeply as her.

“Nice job! How are you feeling?” the woman asked, staying kneeling. Pansy liked the way that the woman’s hands felt in her own, soft and warm and comforting.

“Scared,” Pansy whispered back. For some reason, she felt like she could be truthful with the woman. She liked the bright colours of the room as well as the fun lime green and pink polka dotted robes she wore.

“No reason to be scared, but I understand why you’d feel that way. We’re just going to talk for a few minutes.”

“Here’s some water,” a second, younger woman said kindly, handing over a glass with a swirly pink straw in it.

Pansy couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of the straw, putting the glass down on the table next to her before sucking up water and watching as it twirled up through the pink plastic.

“It’s fun to use, right? My name is Healer Prewett, but you can call me Dorcas,” the older woman said. “I head up St. Mungo’s Department of Classifications’ Littles Division, and I’ll be administering your exam today.”

“I’m Katie, I’m an apprentice in the department and I’ll be helping out as well,” the second woman said with a soft smile. Her robes were lime green with white dogs running along them, and Pansy couldn’t look away. Magic was so cool!

“What’s an apprentice?” Pansy asked curiously, feeling comfortable enough with the duo already to ask.

“That’s a good question,” Katie praised. “Apprentices are people who are learning how to do a job. Whether it’s becoming a healer or working as a professor at Hogwarts, everyone has an apprenticeship where they learn how to do the job.”

“Feeling better?” Dorcas asked, receiving a nod from Pansy. “That’s good, dear. I find that a glass of water always helps me calm down too. Now, Professor Black and Headmaster Dumbledore filled us in a little bit, but why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?”

“Well… I’m eleven and a first year at Hogwarts,” Pansy said uncertainly, not sure what they were looking for.

“What house are you in?” Dorcas asked.

“I’m a Hufflepuff,” she replied.

Dorcas smiled, “Lovely! Both Katie and I were in Gryffindor, but my younger brother was in Hufflepuff. I’m quite jealous of your common room being so close to the kitchen.”

Pansy nodded, “I like the kitchens… the elves make really good hot chocolate!”

“You must have some older friends,” Katie replied. “I didn’t find out about the kitchens until fourth year!”

Both Katie and Dorcas noted how the girl’s eyes lit up. “My friend Harry showed me! We play together on Wednesdays with Draco and drink hot cocoa. The elves even put chocolate chips on mine!”

“It sounds like the elves are still trying to fatten everyone up. Do you mean Harry Potter? We played quidditch together when I was at Hogwarts,” Katie replied.

Pansy nodded, “Yes! Harry is my friend, but I don’t like watching quidditch. It’s boring and long.”

Dorcas laughed, “I quite agree, Pansy. My husband played on our team while we were at Hogwarts, and I would only go to games when it was warm enough for me to take a nap in the stands. Harry is a nice boy, I was roommates with his mother when I was at school.”

“Lily! I stayed with her and James over Christmas.”

“You don’t say,” Dorcas replied. Though she already knew all of this, it was important to hear from Pansy about her experiences in her own words. “Why did you stay with the Potters instead of at your family home?”

The women felt guilty over the sudden slump of Pansy’s shoulders, but knew it was necessary to talk everything through. Even in the most obvious classification cases, they needed to cross their Ts and dot their Is.

“No one came to get me from the Hogwarts Express… I waited and waited, and then two, um… I forget, the people who catch bad guys came. They asked me some stuff and then I got to go to Harry’s house.”

“Aurors?” Dorcas clarified.

“Yeah!” Pansy said, knowing that was the word. “Harry said they catch the bad guys, but that I’m not bad… they just wanted to talk to me.”

“You’re definitely not bad, dear,” Dorcas confirmed. “And you didn’t go home for the Easter hols?”

“No… mother and father and Pallas and Perseus didn’t write back. They’re sad about me being a Hufflepuff, I think.”

The room was quiet for a moment as the women internalized the confirmation of a rumour that had been floating around the wizarding world since before Katie had even entered Hogwarts; the Parkinsons’ daughter was a dirty, unwanted secret.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Pansy. For the record, I think Hufflepuff is a fantastic house to be in. Now, to switch topics a bit… do you have any thoughts about your classification?”

Pansy was quiet for a moment. “Parkinsons are always neutrals, that’s what Professor Black said.”

Dorcas swallowed her annoyance with Sirius. The man had certainly grown up a lot since his Hogwarts days, but his lack of nuance made her job much harder sometimes. Honestly, men in general made her job hard sometimes.

“There are certainly families with only neutrals, but that’s because classifications are so rare. All it takes is one person for a family that previously only had neutrals to change.”

“I have to be a neutral!” Pansy replied petulantly.

“You don’t have to be anything,” Dorcas replied gently, the slight reprimand of a caregiver in her voice. “Magic is the only entity who truly knows our classifications, and whether you’re a neutral, caregiver, or little, it’s a gift.”

“How many people are each classification?”

“That’s another good question, Pansy. Numbers have remained steady the past fifty or so years. In Britain, 5.3 percent of the population are littles, 12.8 are caregivers, and the rest are neutrals.”

“Why are there more caregivers than littles?”

“Well, most caregivers find themselves married to another caregiver, so that leaves about one little to every couple.”

Pansy nodded, not having a reply.

Katie was curious and knew this portion of the exam was a way for them to glean their young patients’ insight in order to better pin down their classification, and if little, their exact headspace.

“You said that you have to be a neutral… do you feel like you’re a neutral? Has there been anything that makes you think you may not be?”

Pansy twisted her lips to the side, looking adorably deep in thought.

“I don’t know…”

Dorcas had been doing this long enough to know when she was being deceived, however innocently.

“Let’s break it down a bit. Is there anything you see your classmates doing that you don’t do or don’t think? That’s a pretty big question, but there are no wrong answers.”

Pansy nodded eagerly, feeling like she could finally share the thoughts that had been running through her head.

“Before we go to sleep my roommates talk about how cute Elijah Shacklebolt and Mykian Flint are and how they want to kiss them! Then Kelly Brocklehurst told everyone that I have a crush on Harry and Draco and they all believe her.”

Katie hid a laugh at the mention of her husband’s younger brother, already looking forward to telling Marcus about what she’d heard today.

Dorcas realized that this conversation was going one of two ways. “Do you think girls are cute enough to kiss, or no one?”

“No one!” Pansy bellowed, her normally mellow tone full of conviction. “I don’t want to kiss anyone, that’s yuck! I just want Harry and Draco to hug me, but now everyone laughs at me when I play with them.”

The older woman swallowed a groan. The worst part of these exams, normally with slightly older students, was uncovering bullying that was taking place at the school. She made a note on her parchment to inform Dumbledore, writing down the name Kelly Brocklehurst so that she wouldn’t forget it as Pansy shared a bit more on the bullying that'd been taking place. The last name rang a bell, but she couldn’t put a face to the name which meant they weren’t a little. She knew every little in wizarding Britain by name, which made her feel a bit better.

“That’s no fun,” Dorcas replied lightly. “I’m sorry to hear that your classmates aren’t being nice.”

Pansy butted in, “They’re not being mean! I keep telling Addie and Celeste that. They think I should tell a professor or Harry or Draco, but it’s okay… they’re just laughing, it’s not mean.”

The healers shared a quick look.

“I see,” Dorcas nodded. “Why don’t you tell me about your relationship with Harry and Draco?”

“They’re my best friends,” Pansy said simply.

“How did you become friends with them?”

Pansy blushed as she recounted the ways that she met both of the boys.

“Professor Black shared that your parents didn’t tell you about classifications growing up. Now that you’ve known for a few months, what do you think about caregivers?”

The girl looked thoughtful, “They’re all different.”

“All people are different,” Katie replied with a smile. “What makes caregivers different than neutrals and littles?”

“Well, they’re a little bossy…” Pansy said honestly, drawing laughs. “Harry and Draco always make me do things that other people don’t! Ginny makes me do stuff too, but we don’t play as much.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” Dorcas asked, amused. 

“They always make a big plate of food at meals and ask me about my homework and make me go potty! They even ask if I have to go when we're with people.” 

“Sounds like caregivers to me,” Dorcas answered honestly. “What do you think about littles?”

“Umm… I didn’t get it at first. But they look happy, like they have fun. They’re all different, though. Some are really little and some are bigger and some are little more and some go to class big! Like Hermione, she’s always big, but only sometimes little.”

Dorcas nodded, knowing not to speak about one of her other patients. Hermione Granger was a bit of an anomaly, especially when other students were comparing themselves to her. Truthfully, Dorcas looked forward to the girl being out of school so that little students didn’t feel poorly for being less able to exist outside of their headspace. The muggleborn was the most resilient and stubborn little that Dorcas had ever met.

“That makes a lot of sense to me, Pansy. Thank you for answering all of our questions so honestly, it helps us out a lot when performing these exams.”

The girl’s eyes grew wide. That was it? “Do you know what I am?”

“Not yet, dear. Unfortunately, Katie and I have to run to a different appointment for a bit, but you can wait here. There are toys and books in the corner, so feel free to make yourself comfortable. Do you need to use the loo before we go?”

Pansy had to think about it for a second before shaking her head. She was fine for now.

The women left, heading to the observation room on the other side of the office. At first, they felt guilty about this portion of the exam, but it was a critical component to classifying littles. Especially those like Pansy who weren’t raised in a nurturing environment and didn’t know what it looked like to relax and submit themselves to their instincts.

“I want to hug her and never let go,” Katie sighed once they were shut into the small, yet comfortable observation room.

“Lily’d told me about how lost she seemed, but I couldn’t imagine it to be so serious.”

“Have you ever seen a case like this?” Katie asked. The apprentice had been on the job for eleven months, having started a bit before graduating Hogwarts. Unlike many of her fellow seventh year caregivers, she didn’t have a little, which made it easier for her to jump start her career. She’d started dating Marcus Flint, who graduated from Hogwarts a year before herself, in her fourth year, his sixth. They made a mutual decision to put their careers first until they found a little that they felt drawn to, and were signed up as foster caregivers in the meantime.

That meant that they’d either serve as babysitters, for lack of a better word, or take in a little whose caregivers were unexpectedly incapacitated. They hadn’t received their first case yet, but looked forward to having a little in their home one way or another.

“Hermione is the closest that I can think of, but that was more because of her rationality than her inability to accept love. I’m not going to lie, this will be a tough case, Katie… and not to get ahead of myself, but I’m going to guess she’ll need to be fostered at some point.”

The apprentice swallowed down her hope at the statement, knowing that they were far from the only caregivers signed up to foster.

“Ah, I knew it wouldn’t take long,” Dorcas smiled. The pair watched Pansy walk over to the room’s play corner and plop herself down on the bright pink bean bag. “My money’s on her falling asleep.”

“It’s half ten, I’m sure she’ll be napping twice daily once she’s in her headspace…” Katie agreed. 

They watched in silence, jotting down notes at the way she sat up slightly to dig through the large bucket of toys. It was purposefully filled with little girl toys that suited a variety of ages, but after their conversation, neither was surprised at the way she grabbed a soft stuffed puppy and ran a reverent hand down it before pulling it to her chest. Like any young little, her heavy-lidded eyes blinked slowly until they stayed close.

“Poor thing,” Katie crooned. “Should we let her sleep?”

“For a bit,” Dorcas nodded. “She had a drink, so let’s see if she wets.”

Katie’s stomach clenched at the thought of the girl waking up wet, but knew it was a necessary evil.

The women were silent as they turned to their paperwork, using the time to complete what they’d normally do at the end of their shifts. The insistent buzz of a small ball on the desk confirmed exactly what Dorcas was looking to; Pansy had wet in her sleep.

Knowing what it meant, Katie let out a small groan.

“I hate this part.”

Dorcas patted her comrade sympathetically. “I know, dear. That’s why we’re paid the shiny galleons, though.”

Katie snorted, “Speak for yourself.”

“One day, dear, one day. Now, follow my lead…”

Katie wasn’t sure what to expect as they went back into the room, but trusted Healer Prewett implicitly. The woman was a legend among the medical field, and Katie felt honoured to have been selected as her personal apprentice. It wasn’t something she took for granted, and she did everything that she could to live up to the woman’s expectations.

“Pansy?” Dorcas called out, knocking loudly on the door as they stepped back into the room.

The girl sat up with a start on the bean bag, stuffed puppy held tightly to her chest as her face turned from sleepy confusion to mortified sobs.

“What’s wrong, darling?” Dorcas asked as she moved over to kneel next to the girl, slowly bringing a hand up towards her hair. The woman was surprised when Pansy pulled her into a hug, resting her head on the older woman’s shoulder.

“Sorry!” Pansy sobbed, unable to stop herself from seeking the comfort she’d been bereft of for what felt like her whole life.

“Shh, you’re okay,” Dorcas crooned over and over, trying to silence the girl’s repeated apologies.

“I didn’t mean to,” Pansy whispered after her sniffles subsided, a hiccup following the words.

“What’s got you so sad, darling? We can’t help unless you tell us.”

Pansy didn’t remove her face from the woman’s neck, drawing comfort from the skin-to-skin contact.

“Went potty,” Pansy whispered, shame filling her stomach.

“That’s all? I was scared you ate one of my favourite toys!” Dorcas exclaimed, drawing a surprised giggle from Pansy.

“Ruined the chair,” Pansy whispered just as quietly as before. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s not ruined,” Dorcas promised, gently pulling Pansy’s face back to make eye contact with her own. She could tell how upset the girl was, and more importantly, that she was on the cusp of entering her headspace. All she needed was a solid push, and Dorcas planned on delivering it. “All of our toys and chairs are waterproof in this wing, we know that littles can be messy while playing and have accidents.”

“Not a little!” Pansy replied with a wobbly scowl.

Dorcas smiled smally, “Our tests show that you may be, darling.”

The girl’s eyes opened wide with fright and uncertainty. “I can’t be little!”

“Magic has blessed you and blessed our community with littles like you, love. There’s nothing to be ashamed of or scared of…”

“I don’t have anyone who wants me,” the girl admitted, sounding much too young for such heavy words. “Or any money or toys…”

“You don’t need to worry anymore, love. Just let go and trust us, okay?” Pansy’s nod, however tremulous, had her continuing on with the last step of the classification process. Dorcas hated to administer a potion without explicit parental consent, especially to one so young and unprepared, but knew what was required of her. “Katie is going to give you a special potion to help your headspace settle… every classified little takes this potion. You might feel a bit funny, but we’ll take care of you.”

Katie popped out of the room to grab the Headspace Settlement Serum, taking a moment to gather her thoughts at the very unorthodox exam that was currently occurring. She was amazed by the way that Pansy’s entire body relaxed just moments after she dutifully swallowed down the light blue potion.

“There’s a girl,” Dorcas praised before moving to heft the girl into her arms without regard for her wet clothes. She knew that littles were always lighter and smaller than their neutral and caregiver counterparts, but the serum also lightened littles magically to make the transport of newly classified babies easier. She knew that a majority of littles took Master Snape’s Resizing Remedy once they’d settled into their classification, but until then, she was grateful for how small Pansy was and the magic imbued in the serum she’d just taken to keep her light.

“Katie, would you be a dear and Floo Professor Black and Head Auror Potter while I clean up Pansy? We have a legal nightmare ahead of us.”

Katie replied in the affirmative, just as brightly as her boss had spoken despite the heaviness of her words. Clearly, Dorcas was pretty confident that Pansy was both down in her headspace and young enough in it not to understand what they were talking about.

xxxxxxxxx

“As much as I’d like to tell you otherwise as your father, I’m speaking as a Ministry official, Harry. This is above your head and that isn’t going to change.”

“How does the Ministry think that setting her up with some caregiver she’s never met while she’s in her headspace for the first time is the right thing to do? They’ve fucked up her care at every turn, and this is the worst misstep of all!” Harry roared, slamming his fists down on the table.

“Harry,” James replied, voice much calmer than he thought possible. “I told you this to prepare you, not so that you could lecture me. What’s done is done; you are a student, you are not an approved foster. Draco is a student, not an approved foster. You are not getting care of Pansy right now.”

“Fuck!”

“You can go inform Draco, but if you try to do anything rash then I will personally see to it that you do not get approval if and when you seek to become her permanent caregivers. Do you understand?”

Harry sucked in a breath before nodding and standing up. Mature? He could do mature.

“I understand, dad. Thank you for letting me know, I’m glad I heard it from you.”

“Of course,” James replied, unable to even put a smile on his face. “Go be with Draco, I’ll have an elf pop through when I hear where she’s placed.”

Harry used his father’s Floo to get to Draco’s, stomach sinking as the thought of his far more rational, but extremely protective boyfriend learning what was going on.

“Harry? What’s wrong?” Draco asked, standing up from the lunch that the five Malfoys were sharing.

“Pansy, they classified her and gave her the serum… she’s being placed with fosters,” Harry choked out, tears rolling down his face as he internalized what was going on.

Narcissa and Livana, Abraxas’ wife, sucked in deep, pitying breaths at the news.

“Are you… what?” Draco asked, shaking his head and looking far more lost than the second best student in the seventh year had a right to.

“Dad just told me… he doesn’t know who, she’s still at Mungo’s.”

“Let’s petition them! They can’t put her with some random person she doesn’t know, what are they bloody thinking?”

Harry put a soft hand on Draco’s tensed arm. “Draco, we can’t… we can’t. Dad said he’d blackball us from ever getting custody of Pansy if we tried; we’re not qualified right now… this is bigger than us.”

“I’m afraid Harry’s right,” Abraxas chimed in gravely. “The Ministry can and will fuck anything up, but newly classified littles are the one process they have down pat.”

“So what? They just give her to people she doesn’t know?” Draco asked incredulously.

“You’re thinking emotionally, son,” Lucius replied. “She’s a traumatized and abandoned little, she’ll be treated with more care than the Minister himself. Whoever she ends up with is more than prepared to care for her.”

“I can’t believe this,” Draco muttered, running a hand through his blond locks.

“Oh, boys… I know how hard this is, but there’s truly nothing you can do,” Narcissa soothed, eyes filling with unwelcome tears. “You need to be calm and rational, Pansy will need you acting like she remembers once you’re back at school. Everything in her life is changing, but that doesn’t mean you need to as well.”

“You’re right, Narcissa,” Harry agreed. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep until I know where she’s sent, Merlin… I feel so helpless.”

xxxxxxxxx

The way that Pansy felt was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. It was like she had felt more at peace than she’d ever been just moments after swallowing the potion that Dorcas brought her.

It was like… every care in her head went away, and she could just focus on how she was feeling in the moment. Which was really hungry!

She’d been rushed off rather quickly after taking the serum, with Dorcas’ voice a constant soothing sound in her ears. Pansy didn’t know what was happening at first, not until her Hogwarts uniform and wet knickers were removed. Not knowing what to do, the girl began to cry, limbs feeling so sluggish… Dorcas promised that she was okay, but Pansy only believed her as she was placed in the warmest tub ever. Her limbs were maneuvered into a seat once she was in the warm water, but she appreciated it since she felt like she could barely hold her head up.

Katie came into the room at some point, smiling sweetly at Pansy before leaving again after Dorcas spoke to her quietly.

The cozy bath almost put her to sleep; for someone who had grown up untrusting, she had never felt safer than she did with Dorcas’ hands in her hair and a soft humming in her ears.

She felt a soft pressure on her toes, but only realized that the water in the tub was being drained as she was unceremoniously lifted from her warm seat. She let out an affronted noise, not much feeling like talking, but wanting her anger to be known.

“I know, we’ll get you all cozy now, little one,” Dorcas crooned. Pansy liked the way her voice sounded, and cuddled as closely in her arms as the fuzzy towel would allow.

Knowing she was in good hands, she let her mind drift as lotion was rubbed all over her. Thinking about being naked wasn’t at front of mind; why wasn’t she embarrassed? Because she felt so good… she’d never received a massage before, but had heard Draco talk about how good they felt. She figured that was akin to a massage; if being little meant having people put lotion on her, she was more than fine with it. Nice touches were nice.

So that’s where she found herself… placed into a softly padded bed with bars - a crib! Dorcas said she’d be back, but it’d been forever… Pansy thankfully had the puppy she had taken a nap with, but she wanted Taco. Where was Taco?

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Katie asked as she walked in, a sympathetic frown on her face.

“Want Taco,” Pansy garbled. Katie couldn’t hide a smile at the way the girl’s eyes crossed at her muffled voice, clearly shocked at the fact that her thumb had ended up in her mouth. Thankfully, the healer had a remedy for that.

“Let’s get your yucky thumb out of your mouth, love,” Katie cooed, gently removing the digit. “Who’s Taco?”

“My Taco…” Pansy replied, hoping the woman would understand.

“Is he your lovey?” Katie tried to confirm, receiving a nod. “I bet Taco misses you too… let me see about getting him. Puppy wants to be your friend for now, though! Him and this pink paci.”

Pansy furrowed her brow as the healer gently pushed a piece of rubber into her mouth before realizing that it was even more soothing than her thumb. It seemed like the healers here really knew how to make her feel comfortable. The little shut her eyes in pleasure, turning away and curling up on her side with puppy in her arms.

The peace and quiet of the room was exactly what she needed, until her tummy started growling. All she did was let out a displeased whimper; Pansy had no desire to talk or move... she just trusted that someone would come help her.

“Guess who I have, love?” Katie said as she walked through the door. It took a moment for Pansy to move to sit up; it was much harder than it looked!

“Taco!” Pansy squealed, wiggling her thin arms through the crib’s bars.

“Be careful, don’t want to get your arms stuck!” Katie cooed, bending down to remove Pansy’s arms from between the crib bars and plop an unassuming and, truthfully, ugly stuffed dragon into her waiting arms. The apprentice smiled as she watched the girl press kisses to the soft toy’s head, clearly overjoyed to have it back. For a little girl who seems to have missed out on so much, Katie was pleased to see that she’d already formed an attachment with a toy. As a caregiver, one of the first things they learned about littles was that having a favourite toy, or a lovey, was an important way to get them solidified in their headspace.

“Healer Flint?” an unfamiliar voice asked from the door, causing Pansy to let out a scared yelp.

Katie was surprised to see Undersecretary for Education and Classifications Kingsley Shacklebolt outside of the room; she’d only interacted with the man during her mandatory apprenticeship lessons, and figured it was something serious.

“You’re okay, sweetheart… you’re okay. Why don’t you give Taco some snuggles? I’ll be back soon.”

“Tummy,” Pansy whimpered, bringing one hand to her stomach as if to drive the point home.

“We’ll get you something yummy for your tummy, too, don’t you worry.” Katie promised, running an affectionate hand down the girl’s cheek before leaving the room. She knew Undersecretary Shacklebolt needed her for the investigation, but getting Pansy food was more important.

“I’m sorry to frighten the little one, Healer Flint,” Undersecretary Shacklebolt said, his voice low and rumbling. 

“No worries, sir. She’s a shy little thing, strangers aren’t her favourite thing,” Katie smiled.

“It doesn’t look like you’re a stranger to her,” he observed.

“No, sir. I’ve been with her all day, before she’d received the serum even, so I think she’s been able to trust me. Makes her care much easier.”

“This room, I believe,” Shacklebolt said, holding open a door for Katie.

“Mark?” Katie asked, eyes wide at the extremely unexpected sight of her husband. “What are you doing here?”

The man stood up, pulling his wife into his arms. Katie was tall for a woman at 5’10, but Marcus’ large height and wide, muscular body still dwarfed her.

“He has no idea why he’s here,” Shacklebolt said. “If you two don’t mind waiting here for a moment, I’ll be right back.”

“I thought you were hurt,” Marcus rasped, running giant hands down his wife’s body as if to ensure she was still in one piece. 

“I’m okay, love,” Katie replied with a smile. “It’s just been a long shift. I’m not sure I’ll be off any time soon… we’ll have to cancel on Adrian and Ang.”

“They’ll be fine, honestly, I’m sure they’ll be happy to have a night to themselves,” Marcus laughed.

The door opened and only bedside manner allowed Katie to hide her surprise at the sight of the new Minister of Magic and his guards.

“Healer Flint, Master Flint, it’s a pleasure to meet you both,” the Minister said, not introducing himself with the confidence of a man who knew he didn’t need to introduce himself.

“Minister Riddle,” Marcus greeted, reaching a large paw out for a handshake. “It’s an honour to meet you. Congratulations on your new role.”

The man nodded regally, accepting Katie’s hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it.

“These men need no introduction, I’m sure,” Tom Riddle said with a nod towards Undersecretary Shacklebolt, Head Auror Potter, Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Black. Katie was relieved to see that Dorcas was now back in the room along with Healer Ryker Davies, the head of the hospital’s Caregivers Division. “Why don’t we take a seat?”

Marcus pulled out Katie’s seat at the small conference table that looked far too cheap for such high-powered individuals. The healer had to hide a smile as she thought about the way she and her colleagues, oftentimes half asleep, ate and spilled their meals all over this very table.

“Thank you all for joining us on such short notice. A rather unorthodox meeting, but a tragedy nonetheless. There are reasons that our classifications laws are stringent; to protect the most vulnerable among us. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, there are those who fall through the cracks. A first year at Hogwarts has been classified at St. Mungo’s today and under the careful care of Healers Prewett and Flint. Through their care and anecdotes from Headmaster Dumbledore, his staff, and Head Auror Potter, we’ve pieced together a tale of willful neglect by Lulette and Poseidon Parkinson. Not to play into stories told through the grapevine, but we are all well aware of the rumours of the Parkinson family’s distaste for their youngest child. Though law dictated their behavior legal, this darling little girl has undergone more than any child her age should. Her trauma has led her to present at the age of eleven, something we all know that to only occur under the most dire of circumstances. I will now turn it over to Healer Prewett to provide an update on Miss Parkinson’s health.”

Healer Prewett nodded deferentially, “Thank you for your prompt attention to my patient’s health, Minister Riddle. I speak for St. Mungo’s entire staff when I say that we appreciate your careful care for our most vulnerable patients, those in my division.

“Miss Parkinson was recommended to have an early classification exam after Professor Black was notified that she’d reached her seventh strike last night, which is Hogwarts’ notification system for bedwetting. She consented to the examination, and Minister Riddle signed off on it after the Parkinsons did not respond to Professor Black’s owl or Floo call. She showed traditional signs of a little classification during her oral examination, including diminutive language, distractions, and heightened emotions. During the private play portion of the exam, which occurred around 11am, which is when most young littles take their morning nap, Miss Parkinson laid down with a stuffed puppy and fell asleep. We have a notification system in our observation room for any wetting or messing incidents, and it went off thirty seven minutes into Miss Parkinson’s nap. 

“When Apprentice Bell and I woke her up, she sought physical comfort from me while crying. She then consented to taking the Headspace Settlement Serum, and afterwards, she settled into a young headspace immediately. My best estimate is a headspace of 2-3 years old based on her motor skills, language, and emotional stability. She’s currently resting in a crib; Head Auror Potter’s son has a pre-existing relationship with Miss Parkinson and mentioned a stuffed animal and blanket that she may want. She requested her stuffed dragon from Apprentice Bell, and has settled well now that she has it.”

“Thank you for your detailed update, Healer Prewett. There are four nights until students head back to Hogwarts, correct?”

Headmaster Dumbledore nodded. “Quite right, Minister. The students will head back on Saturday, but classes will not resume until Monday.”

“That gives Miss Parkinson six nights to settle into her headspace. Head Auror Potter, have you made contact with her parents?”

“I brought a senior team of aurors over to the Parkinson’s home at your direction and they signed the emancipation papers without hesitation. Pa- Miss Parkinson is now a ward of the Ministry.”

“Devastating, but necessary. Give my sincere thanks to your team, Lord Potter.”

“Of course, Minister,” James replied. If anyone looked close enough, they’d see how tightly wound he was.

“Now comes the obvious question of where Miss Parkinson will spend the next week; does anyone have any strong opinions?” The Minister asked, looking around the table as though he truly wanted their input.

“If I may, Minister, I would recommend the Flints. They’re signed up as fosters through the Ministry, and Apprentice Flint has the ability to miss a week of work. I’m sure Head Auror Potter would allow Auror Flint, who I’ve asked to sit in on this meeting, the same leave.”

“Of course,” James agreed.

“If I may,” Sirius cut in, raising one lazy hand. “I want to be clear that despite anything that happens this week, Miss Parkinson has formed an incredibly strong bond with Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. I’d request that Miss Parkinson, despite her being a ward of the Ministry, is treated like any other first year and not forced into signing papers.”

“Any of our fosters, all of whom I personally interview, are well-suited to taking on a traumatized little. But I have to agree that anything more than a foster at this point would be detrimental to Miss Parkinson’s healing and antithetical to the cause of our foster program,” Healer Davies said solemnly.

Katie looked horrified at the mere thought of forcing a little girl into signing her life over to caregivers while under deep emotional turmoil. The look was enough for all of the powerful individuals in the room to see her as a viable foster for Pansy.

“Sir, professor, I would never. Marcus wouldn’t either. We aren’t ready for a little of our own, but are well prepared to serve as fosters. Our home is equipped, and I’ve already formed a bond with Pansy. Please know that she’ll receive no pressure while with us, just the love, comfort, and stability that a little girl needs.”

“Thank you, Healer Bell. If this leaks, you’ll all lose your jobs. Am I clear?”

A chorus of yes sirs echoed through the room, leaving one pleased, yet dangerous, Minister of Magic.

“Minister, if your guard could assist me in clearing the hallway while Healer Bell and Auror Flint take Miss Parkinson to the Floo I would appreciate it.”

“Of course, madam,” the minister replied to Healer Prewett, following the powerful woman out of the room.

Katie and Marcus shared a determined look as they stood up, ready to nurture the little girl who’d lived a relatively loveless life for the next six days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments keep me writing. Please let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have the next chapter almost done (over 6k words already, woof), so if I get a few comments I'll post it tomorrow! Comments are really a driving factor for my motivation to write, so let me know what you think or if there's anything you want to see. Thanks for all the love so far for these fun characters on their journey! All fluff from here on out.

Draco was well aware of the privilege that being a pureblooded male who was set to inherit the largest fortune in the entirety of the world brought him. He also knew that Harry was no second-rate bum either; the Potter fortune was a boon of its own, and his father’s role in the Ministry opened doors that many would never be ushered over to.

That’s what made being completely iced out of Pansy’s care so difficult; they weren’t considered anyone special, they weren’t even granted updates on how she was doing. All they knew was that she was with Marcus and Katie Flint, settling into her headspace. Not jumping off the rails was the most difficult thing that a normally level-headed and rational Draco had ever done. Second to that was not killing Harry, his hot-tempered, emotional explosion of a boyfriend.

So as someone extremely rational, yet currently bereaved, Draco did what he’d been planning to do in a year or two.

“You’re asking me to marry you?” Harry asked incredulously.

Draco nodded, unsure of what was so hard to understand about him getting down on one knee and showing Harry the magically imbued goblin steel ring.

“Now? Of all times?” Draco was annoyed at the way Harry’s voice climbed. All he was looking for was a yes, not another emotional outburst.

“If we want to be serious candidates for Pansy’s caregivers, then we need to get married. She’s not 12 until August, so I figure that gives our mothers time to plan the summer wedding of their dreams.”

Harry laughed, shaking his head and messing up his hair even more.

“I’d always thought that your proposal would be much more romantic, but this will do. Yes, Draco… I’ll marry you.”

Draco smiled into the kiss, forever loving the tight, protective embrace of his slightly shorter, yet much stockier soon-to-be husband.

“Think our mums are ready?” Harry asked, resting his forehead against Draco’s shoulder.

“They’ve had our entire lives to prepare, honestly, so I’m sure everything from napkins to flowers are already planned.”

“Thank Merlin, I don’t want to choose anything,” Harry groaned. “I just want our girl.”

“We’ll get her, Harry,” Draco promised with much more conviction than he actually felt. “Everything will work out.”

xxxxxxxxx

Now that Pansy knew how peaceful and full of love life could be, she didn’t want to go back to Hogwarts. Which led her to where she currently was, banging her fists and feet against the ground and screaming like a rabid dog was after her.

Everything moved much quicker than she knew how to comprehend at first; one minute she was laying in the crib at the hospital, whispering to Taco about what had happened that whirlwind of a day, and the next the handsome man from the newspaper came into the room with Dorcas and Katie to tell her she was leaving. Of course, she cried a lot, unsure of how to express the very big emotions she felt. Where were they taking her and why?

It was only when Katie took her into her arms that Pansy felt a little safer; she’d only just met the woman, but she was already her friend and, most importantly, she was Harry’s friend. She knew that anyone who was friends with Harry wouldn’t hurt her.

It wasn’t until later, when Pansy had been taken through the gross fireplace to a place that Katie told her was where she lived with her husband that they filled her in on what had happened. Granted, she didn’t understand much of it, but she did comprehend that she would be staying with Katie and her husband Marcus - who Pansy found out was the auror from King’s Cross. She cried and shivered at the news, but didn’t move from where she was curled up on Katie’s lap. If anything, she moved closer to the woman.

Her time with the couple started out with a pit of uncertainty in her stomach; she didn’t know these people… why did someone get to choose who she stayed with, anyways? Did Harry and Draco not want to play with her? Things turned around quickly, though, when Marcus asked if she’d like to help cook dinner. It turns out that Marcus liked to cook and give their two elves a break, and he made really yummy food that Pansy had never tried before too! She got to help make something called macaroni and cheese, and they didn’t even get mad when she was all messy after using her hands to scoop out the cheesy noodles stuck at the bottom of her bowl after Katie was done feeding her.

The room she was staying in was pretty and pink; the crib had a comfy mattress, and lovey was even in there waiting for her! She hadn’t let Taco go until they ate dinner, constantly checking to make sure he was still watching her from the counter like Marcus promised. The man was big, and Pansy realized how nice it was to be completely cloaked in someone’s arms. Her happy sighs at the man’s warm embraces didn’t cease all week, and she missed all of Katie and Marcus’ fond looks as she snuggled closer in his arms. 

All in all, it was the best week she could ever remember, nappies and all. She was mildly ashamed, somewhere in her mind, at the mortified fit she threw the first time she’d woken up with a messy diaper, but the promise of hot cocoa for being such a good girl made everything better. Peeking up from behind Taco’s big belly, she could see that Katie and Marcus didn’t look mad at her using her nappy. That fact didn’t make it less embarrassing to suddenly not be able to control when she went potty or that someone was cleaning her up, but it made everything easier. Life felt infinitely easier knowing people cared about her.

And that’s why she found herself throwing a tantrum on the ground, begging through sobbed, blubbering words not to go back to Hogwarts. She didn’t want to go back to the way that everything was; she wanted to stay here, where she got hugs and kisses and cheesy pasta and bottles and baths. The idea of leaving was more than she could fathom; they’d have to drag her out to get her to board the Hogwarts Express.

“We’ll be here when you’ve settled down,” Marcus said calmly, lowering his large body down to the floor and staying out of range. He didn’t want a fist to the face, however tiny it was, if he could help it.

Katie pressed a fond kiss to her husband’s shoulder before reaching back to grab the books they’d been reading from the couch’s side table. They weren’t surprised that Pansy was having a tantrum, more surprised that this was the first real one she had. The girl had been a perfect first foster for them, however challenging her case was. It was obvious that she was uncertain and frightened, especially when she was loaded up out of St. Mungo’s and quickly moved to their house. They would never tell her the cause of the abrupt movement, which was so that the papers didn’t cotton on, especially as the Minister and other high-ranking officials were present. 

But now, at the end of Pansy’s short stay with them, her progress was remarkable. The girl was endearingly shy, but curious and opinionated and extremely touch-starved. Katie saw the way her husband grew more confident while caring for Pansy, too- he was always bigger than his classmates, scaring off first years due to his size and having to soften himself in his role as an auror. But with Pansy? Marcus had to be careful what he wished for, Katie thought with a smile. The girl didn’t want to spend a moment outside of his arms, and teared up at what she considered to be the meanness of the duo when they plopped her in her crib at night and the highchair during meals. Rules and a routine were critical for a little’s development and mental state, and they could tell that Pansy had had nothing of a routine or discipline while growing up.

Katie was eleven pages from finished with her book when Pansy had calmed down enough to crawl over to them, snot and tears dripping from her face as she nudged Marcus’ book aside and plopped herself in his lap.

“What’d that book do to you?” Marcus growled playfully, drawing the desired giggle out of Pansy.

“I stay,” Pansy replied, sniffling and running a forearm over her nose. The medical professional in Katie cringed, and she immediately conjured a handful of tissues.

“Blow,” Katie directed firmly, holding the soft paper over Pansy’s nose and ensuring the passageway was clear. “Good girl, Pansy.”

The girl was perfectly still as Katie cleaned her face off, happy to rest in Marcus’ arms while her face was attacked. 

Marcus was big and warm and sang and danced with her in his arms. He was way nicer than she thought he was at King’s Cross. She told him as much and received a lot of tickles and a big hug in reply. 

Katie was just as nice and smiley as she was at the hospital. Pansy liked the way that her voice sounded; she always told Pansy what she was doing and how to play. Pansy was sad at first when she didn’t recognize how to play with any of the toys Katie showed her, but before she could even cry, the healer gently took her hand and explained how to play with dolls and puzzles and crayons.

“I stay,” Pansy repeated once Katie had spelled away the gross tissues, unsure of whether or not anyone had heard her.

Katie made a split second decision, relying on her professional training to guide her.

“Pansy, can you be our big girl for a bit?” Katie asked authoritatively. “Try and think about your friends Addie and Celeste, Professor Sprout, your classes…”

Pansy whined at the overload of thoughts surfacing in her head at those buzzwords, thoughts that she hadn’t pondered for what felt like ever…

“Oh no!” Pansy gasped, sitting up straight in Marcus’ lap. “What if my friends owled me?”

Katie was pleased to see that Pansy’s little headspace had faded to the background, but less pleased that panic was her initial reaction.

“Everything’s taken care of,” Katie soothed with a smile, taking one of Pansy’s hands into her own. The girl was dressed in a light pink nightie, having been dressed in soft pyjamas for the entirety of her time at their home. Comfort was paramount right now, and they didn’t want clothes to be the factor that threw her out of her headspace.

“I don’t want to go,” Pansy whimpered, sky blue eyes opened wide.

“All of your friends are excited to see you! Why don’t you want to return to Hogwarts?” Katie asked.

“I don’t want to.”

Katie couldn’t help but crack a smile at the girl’s simplicity. 

“If you don’t go back, you’ll miss classes and your friends and hot cocoa and all of the elves,” Marcus tried.

“No! I’ll be sad again…”

“Why will you be sad?”

Pansy sniffed pitifully, cheeks turning red. “Muh-my… my bed is wet and I’m sleepy during class and the food hurts my tummy and my clothes are bad and I don’t have toys!”

Katie and Marcus were quiet for a second, trying to parse through the little girl speak.

“Let’s dig into that,” Katie suggested. “Now that you’re classified, your time at school will be a little different. Hogwarts, St. Mungo’s and the Ministry have worked very hard over the years to make sure littles are healthy and taken care of.”

Pansy chimed in, diaper crinkling as she teetered anxiously on Marcus’ thighs. “But you said littles aren’t classified until they’re bigger! I’ll be the only one…”

“You’re not the only one, sweet girl, even if you’re the only one in your year. There are currently 35 littles at Hogwarts and 68 caregivers… the 27 littles whose caregivers have already graduated Floo home every night, but the school has separate dorms for littles that spend the night at school.”

Pansy sucked in a deep breath, trying to be strong like Harry. She wasn’t a Gryffindor, but she could try to be brave.

“I don’t sleep with my friends?” she asked softly, sadly.

Katie shook her head. “You’ll have a lot of fun, I remember the night shifts that Mark and I had while we were at school in the littles dorm.”

“I don’t like it!” Pansy shouted, shaking her head. “Too much is different… no want.”

Katie could tell the girl’s headspace had taken back full control, and just rubbed a comforting hand along Pansy’s cheek.

“Harry and Draco are excited to see you,” Katie offered, feeling like it was time to pull out the big guns even though they hadn’t discussed all of Pansy’s concerns.

The girl perked up at that. “I see now?”

Katie contemplated it for a second. She knew the train would’ve arrived at the school hours ago, so they were a quick Floo call away.

“It’s time for sleeps,” Katie replied.

“Milk?” Pansy asked, turning her puppy dog eyes on Marcus who pressed a kiss to her hair.

“Of course, Keeko will bring us a bottle, so we can start rocking,” The man confirmed, cradling the girl close in his arms. Katie could see the look of longing on his face. She knew he’d miss having the girl around when she left tomorrow evening.

“Slow rocks,” Pansy said, letting out a yawn and closing her eyes. Everything else could wait when rocks and milk were waiting for her.

“The slowest rocks ever,” Marcus confirmed with a smile that only his wife could see. Marcus had built the rocking chair in their nursery from scratch, a labour of love that made him emotional the first time he’d been able to use it. No two littles were the same, so it brought him unspeakable joy that the first little in his care was so young, affectionate, and fond of his rocking chair.

xxxxxxxxx

“Fuck this up and I’ll kill you myself,” Sirius warned, speaking as a man and a caregiver and not a professor.

“We don’t plan on doing anything but getting Pansy back to school,” Draco promised, slapping Harry’s side sharply. The man looked far too excited while being threatened.

“Like I said… I’ll kill you myself. I can’t handle another conversation with the Minister, boys. I can’t do it.”

“Can we go now? Do we need anything?” Harry asked, bouncing on his toes like a child waiting to go to Florean Fortescue’s.

“You need to have your wits about you, boy!” Sirius exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Take a breath, get it together.”

Draco swallowed his comments about Sirius being the one who needs to get it together, instead placing what he hoped was a comforting hand on Harry’s back.

“I’m ready,” Harry nodded after a moment.

“The Floo address is Flint Fortress, newlyweds abode.”

Harry snorted, “I think that takes the cake for the worst address. The alliterations get worse and worse… crazy, old rich people.”

Draco shot him a sharp look before heading to the Floo.

He stepped out into a small Floo foyer, which showed him just how large the Flint’s newlywed home was. Whose guest home boasted a Floo foyer?

“Hi Draco,” Katie smiled.

“Healer Flint,” He nodded, receiving a Gryffindor-like snort.

“Call me Katie, Draco. We’re far past the formalities after our quidditch days.”

“You’re right,” Draco smiled, stepping to the side as the fire burned green.

“Katie, hi!” Harry smiled, eyes a little manic.

The girl hid a giggle, “In the muggle world we have stores where people buy dogs and cats… you both look like you’re waiting for me to bring a dog to play with you.”

“We’re perfectly calm!” Draco shot back. “Why does everyone need to suggest we’re not calm?”

“I wouldn’t be calm,” Katie shrugged. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but I don’t really care right now unless it pertains to Pansy’s immediate health and safety. She’s had a lot thrown at her the past week, and she’s doing surprisingly well for such a young, unaware little. I expect her to have a big tantrum when you’re back at school, to be frank. You need to treat her like you would any other little in your care; you’ve done little dorm shifts, you know how hard it is for the new little ones, but there hasn’t been a muggleborn little presented since Hermione, which is essentially what Pansy is. She has no parameters for how to act, what to think or what to do. She needs your guidance, as much as she’ll buck against it. Do you have any questions before you see her?”

Harry coughed before nodding. The woman had gotten straight down to business. “Is she, erm, okay with Marcus? Does she like him?”

Katie raised an eyebrow. “If you’re asking if she’s comfortable having a male caregiver, the answer is yes. Truth be told, I think she likes Mark more than she likes me, especially during bathtime and changes. He’s as big a pushover as they come.”

“Good,” Harry breathed, feeling some of his panic evaporate.

“Ready?”

“Are you sure we can’t bring gifts?” Draco asked.

“I haven’t changed my mind,” Katie said with the shake of her head. “She’s going back to school, she doesn’t need anything right now besides comfortable clothes and new uniforms that Mark and I ordered for her.”

“The Malfoys can transfer you money, just let me know how much we owe you.”

Katie sighed deeply. “We don’t need your money, Draco. It’s going to be difficult for you two to come to grips with, but you’re not the only ones who care about Pansy anymore. Yes, you were the first two, but now? She’s a little, she’s the youngest little at Hogwarts by three years biologically, and in a very young headspace. She’s going to be fawned over, and you need to get yourselves together or you’ll disqualify yourselves out of the race before it’s even begun. Got it?” 

“Yes ma’am,” Draco and Harry replied in tandem.

“They’re in the living room playing salon,” Katie said, leading them out of the foyer and through the well-lit hallway. “Pansy, guess who’s here?”

The girl gasped, wobbling as she stood up from the floor and stumbled over to reach clumsy arms around both men. Marcus’ face was pale white and he was half off the ground, terrified that the girl was going to fall on her face as they’d seen her do a few times.

“Sweetheart,” Draco breathed, kneeling down to pull the girl up so she was resting on one of his knees and one of Harry’s.

“I missed you!” Pansy cried, turning her head to his shoulder and breathing in his familiar scent.

“We missed you so much,” Harry replied. If his voice was thick with tears, no one in the room would say anything. “It looks like you’ve been having fun with Katie and Marcus, hm?”

The girl nodded, forgetting her tears like any young little would at the change of conversation.

“So much fun,” Pansy agreed, before pouting. “I don’t want to leave.”

Katie gave them a pointed look as she sat on the couch that told them everything they already knew. They were expected to fix her attitude and get her back to school.

“You don’t want to finish first year?” Draco asked softly, moving to pick up the girl in his arms and sit on the couch without regard for his pouting partner. “What about your aubergines and carrots that you planted with Professor Sprout? Or the elves in the kitchen, what will they do on Wednesday nights?”

“Um…” Pansy shrugged, not having a good answer as she leaned back into Draco’s arms. He was just as comfy as she remembered.

“What about Addie and Celeste?”

“They come see me here,” she replied.

“They aren’t allowed to leave the school during the year, Pansy.”

“I don’t want to be the only little!” Pansy exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“There are a lot of littles at Hogwarts,” Harry reminded Pansy gently, moving to sit in front of the couch.

“Not first years!”

“That’s tough, isn’t it?” Harry commiserated. “But that just means you can set an example for your classmates.”

Pansy removed her head from Draco’s chest, turning to look at Harry.

“What’s an example?”

“It means that you can show them what it’s like to be a little… Everyone’s nervous about being classified, and you can show them that it’s not scary at all!” Harry exclaimed, taking one of Pansy’s small, soft feet into his hands.

“I am scared!” Pansy retorted, and all of the adults had to hide their smiles.

“It’s okay to be scared, Pansy. I was scared when I presented as a caregiver,” Harry said honestly.

“I was scared when you came to stay with us,” Marcus chimed in, drawing a gasp from Pansy.

“Why?”

“I didn’t know if you’d have fun with Katie and I.”

“I want to stay forever,” Pansy pouted. “You’re fun, Marcus!”

The man smiled at Pansy, “Thank you, little one. I think you’re fun too, which is part of why you need to go back to school. All of your friends will be sad if they can’t play with you.”

“I don’t want to live somewhere else, and what about… what about…”

“Nappies?” Katie asked, knowing exactly where the girl’s mind was headed. Pansy shushed her, hiding her face in her hands. “You’re not the first person to wear a diaper in front of Harry and Draco, sweetheart. It feels like a big thing now, but soon, it’ll just be a part of your life.”

“I don’t like it!” Pansy sighed.

“But it helps you, hm? Our bodies are silly… some littles need diapers when they settle into their headspaces, some don’t. Just because you need them doesn’t mean anything; Hogwarts’ faculty and caregivers are well-equipped to help you, just like Mark and I have this week.”

“People will know!”

“Would you rather them see you wet your knickers?” Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No!” Pansy scowled, bumping her forehead against Draco’s chest in protest.

She could feel Draco shrug under her.

“Then you’ll wear nappies,” Draco replied softly, but firmly. Harry always knew that his partner would be the unyielding, protective one, but seeing him in action left him breathless. Draco was going to be an amazing dad.

She groaned, frustrated tears filling her eyes.

“We can pick out some fun diapers and clothes and toys for you,” Harry offered, knowing that sometimes money did solve problems.

“Fun?” She asked curiously, peeking an eye out to look at Harry.

“Super fun!” the black-haired man promised, a smile on his face. “Mum even gave me some catalogues for muggle stores so you can buy clothes with movie characters on them.”

“I have no money,” Pansy shrugged, looking far sadder than any little girl had the right to look.

Draco pressed a fond kiss to her head. “My darling sweetheart, money is nothing that a little girl should worry about. Okay? I pinky promise.”

Pansy considered his words before nodding. “If you promise.”

“Harry and I both promise… we’ll take good care of you, money and all.”

“Okay,” Pansy agreed wearily. She was tired of all this serious talk.

“Oh, Draco… we’ve forgot to tell Pansy the funnest part of coming back to Hogwarts.”

“What?” Pansy asked eagerly. Harry sounded extremely excited, and that had Pansy on the edge of Draco’s knee peering down at him.

“We’re getting married!” Harry exclaimed, drawing cheers from Marcus and Katie.

Pansy let out a squeal, dragging Harry towards her into an awkward three-way group hug.

“Can I come?” she asked. “I’ve never been to a wedding!”

“You’ll do much more than just be a guest,” Draco said seriously. “We need you to be our flower girl and help us walk down the aisle. Would you like to do that?”

Pansy beamed, feeling extremely important at being given such a big task.

“I’ll be really good! Professor Sprout and I will pick flowers…”

“What a great idea,” Katie praised. “I’m sure once you’re back at school you can pick out some flowers with her.”

Draco hid his smile, knowing that Narcissa, no matter how much she loved Pansy, would let the girl pick out flowers. Expensive flowers were the only kind she’d settle for at her only child’s wedding.

“I’m excited! What colour will I wear?” Pansy asked. “Will nana and Lily help me pick a dress?”

“Absolutely, darling,” Draco confirmed. “Now that you’ve said yes, they’ll want to owl you some pictures of pretty dresses they’ve found.”

“Oh, I can’t wait! I love getting married…”

Harry laughed, a delighted, small sound. “I missed you, petal.”

“I missed you too… I’ll miss Katie and Marcus. Can they come play with us?”

“No, Pansy, but littles are able to leave Hogwarts on weekends. Would you like to come spend some weekends with us?” Marcus asked, grinning as Pansy nodded eagerly.

“Please! We eat cookies and read and play salon…”

“Sounds like a plan,” Marcus replied. “Now, we need to get you changed and back to Hogwarts.”

Pansy’s face crumpled at that. “My school clothes are yuck.”

“Your clothes are itchy aren’t they, Pansy?” Katie asked, cooing at the sad nod she received in return. “A lot of little ones have sensitive skin, but we have some new skirts and shirts upstairs for you. We also have all of your pyjamas packed up and some new comfy clothes.”

“Thank you,” Pansy smiled, grateful for the kindness that she’d been shown this week by mere strangers. The eleven-year-old part of her mind wanted to fall to her knees sobbing in gratitude and hug Katie and Marcus for all they’d done for her.

“Of course, sweetheart. Now, we need you to make a choice. Would you like Harry and Draco to come upstairs while we get you changed? It might be helpful for them to know some of the boring caregiver stuff Marcus and I have learned.”

The thought of even more people seeing her naked made Pansy extremely uncomfortable. Logically, she understood what Katie had been saying in a conversation they picked up after her nap yesterday; being little meant trusting others to care for her, even when it came to baths and nappy changes. 

Katie said that that didn’t mean she had to trust anyone and everyone; she always had the right to say no, whether it was a caregiver on shift or a staff member at St. Mungo’s. That made her feel better. There was a difference between knowing she was little and knowing that people would have control over what she did, what she ate, what she wore, and so much more… but Harry and Draco? Even though her tummy felt funny at the thought of them looking at her, she trusted them with her life.

“It’s okay,” Pansy confirmed.

“Brave girl,” Katie smiled. “Follow me.”

Draco picked Pansy up, able to feel the wetness of her nappy as he situated her on his hip.

“This is just, like, a guest house?” Harry asked with all of the tact that Draco would expect.

“It’s our honeymoon home,” Marcus explained. “Newlywed couples live here for a few years before moving back to the manor.”

Pansy popped her head up. “Did you know Marcus’ brother is Mykian? The one Addie and Celeste want to kiss? I said he’s yuck, but Marcus pinky promised not to tell.”

Marcus smiled from behind Pansy, extremely delighted at the little girl’s insights on his younger brother.

“Saying someone’s gross isn’t nice, is there a better way to describe Mykian?” Draco asked.

“No, Draco,” Pansy said exasperatedly with a shake of her head. “He’s yuck to kiss! Katie and Marcus said it’s okay not to want to kiss boys or girls even though Professor Black said lots of people want to.”

“Ah,” Draco exaggerated as though what she said was a revelation. “Katie and Marcus are right, you don’t need to kiss anyone you don’t want to. And you don’t need to ever kiss anyone, that’s okay too.”

“Here we are,” Katie interrupted, guiding them into the spacious nursery Pansy had been staying in.

“Taco and lovey!” Pansy yelped as Draco laid her down on the changing table, reaching a desperate hand towards the crib.

“Here you are,” Marcus said, handing the girl her favourite toys. No one said anything at the way she covered her face with the dragon’s body.

“First we’ve got to change this nappy,” Katie narrated, bunching Pansy’s nightie around her waist, exposing the wet material. “Pansy’s skin is extremely sensitive, even compared to the other littles I see at the hospital. You’ll need to make sure her nappies are changed right away so that she doesn’t get a rash.”

Everyone ignored the way the little yelped at the sharing of information, knowing that she needed to get comfortable at being cared for in such a foreign way.

“Her daytime diapers are thinner than her naptime and nighttime ones right now, so just make sure you change her into a naptime diaper even if her daytime one is dry. Other than that, everything’s been going well… we have Professor Snape’s hydrating lotion packed with her new clothes. You like a good rubbin’, don’t you?”

Pansy nodded, mumbling behind the dragon. “A massage, just like Draco gets!”

Draco laughed, scratching a fond hand in Pansy’s hair.

“Draco made me learn how to give massages, so you’re in luck,” Harry said.

“Bubble baths, too,” Pansy said.

“We packed a few bottles of hypoallergenic bubble bath too,” Katie added. “Your girl’s got expensive taste.”

“That’s my girl,” Draco crooned, delighted at the opportunity to spend his family’s well-earned galleons on Pansy. He knew his parents and grandparents were waiting with bated breath on the all clear to buy Pansy whatever she wanted and renovate the manor. Malfoys had caregivers interspersed in their family line, but the chance to decorate and baby-proof the house was an unmatched delight.

“Saucy apples, too,” Pansy pointed out, drawing confused looks from Harry and Draco.

“My mum makes homemade applesauce from our trees out back,” Marcus explained. “She brought some over, and Pansy’s enjoyed it as a snack. We packed a few jars, but mum has magically contained trees that she’ll make another batch from whenever you run out.”

“I might have to steal some,” Harry teased, running a sneaky hand along Pansy’s still-thin stomach.

“No! Mine!”

“Just one bite,” Harry whined playfully.

“Say please,” Pansy reprimanded in a way they had done to her many times before.

“Please,” Harry begged. “Or I’ll have to eat… this tummy!”

Pansy let out a shriek, twisting around and making it very difficult for Katie to finish taping the plain white diaper on the girl.

“All set!” Katie exclaimed. “Mark, if you want to get her dressed while I wash my hands.”

“What do we do?” Marcus asked, moving over towards the girl.

“Stand tall, stay still, be safe!” Pansy parroted, taking Marcus’ hands and standing up in the center of the changing table.

“Arms to the sky,” Marcus directed, standing tall enough to easily pull the girl’s nightie off and leave her in only a diaper. Like all female littles, Pansy had a flat chest, looking exactly like a biological child would, if only a bit taller.

“You were supposed to grab her outfit,” Katie sighed, shaking her head at her husband. “Silly boys just want you to freeze, hm?”

“Lovey will keep me warm,” Pansy replied, pointing to her blanket that was on the table beneath her.

“Thankfully you have clothes for that. We only have a few outfits packed, but they’ve all passed the Pansy feel test. I included a list of suggested retailers and fabrics, I know it can be slightly overwhelming to know where to start.”

“It sounds like you’ve gone above and beyond, Katie,” Harry said. “Thank you so much… really.”

“Of course, oh, there you go! Good girl,” Katie praised softly, maneuvering Pansy’s arms into a dark green sweater. “Pansy let us know that she likes dresses more than trousers, but trousers are easier to buy without going in the store, so that’s what we have.”

“They’re fuzzy,” Pansy informed, unaware of the small heart attack she gave Draco and Marcus as she tipped to the side while helping step into sweatpants on wobbly legs.

“I wish I had trousers like that,” Harry said seriously, eyes trained on the dark grey sweats.

“We match,” Pansy smiled. “Draco too.”

“Sure, loves,” Draco said noncommittally. He’d be caught dead before wearing sweats in public.

“There we go! Pretty as a picture,” Katie said.

“Can you see the… nappy?” Pansy asked, concerned.

“No girlie, and even if you could, it doesn’t matter. No one’s going to say anything mean,” Marcus promised, picking the girl up for what he knew was one of the last times and pulling her close. “You just call Uncle Marcus if anyone says anything mean.”

Pansy giggled, eyes wide. “Will you take them to Apkabam? The place where bad people go?”

“Azkaban,” Marcus corrected gently. “If they’re mean, I’ll just take them to scary old Minister Riddle and he’ll give them a good talking to.”

Pansy shook her head, “He’s not scary, he gave me paints!”

Harry and Draco shared a look; it was a blessing that their girl had been so cut off from society, so she didn’t have the same preconceived notions about people that many littles did. No, Pansy saw the best in people because they only knew her as the sweet little girl she was. That included the fearsome Minister Tom Riddle who even fathered his own two children with an iron fist.

“Because you’re a sweet girl,” Marcus cooed. “Your paints are all packed, so you can share them with your friends.”

No one missed the girl’s curled up lip at the idea of sharing.

“You all should be heading out, the feast will be starting soon,” Katie nudged, knowing that as much as she wanted the little girl to stay, that Pansy needed to get back into a routine.

“Be a good girl for your professors, okay? I’m very proud of you, Pansy. You’re being very brave,” Marcus murmured into Pansy’s ear, rocking her side to side.

The girl sniffled, squeezing her arms tightly around his neck. “I’ll miss you! Will you owl me?”

“Of course,” Marcus promised, pressing a kiss to Pansy’s cheek before transferring her to his wife’s arms.

“You won’t even have time to miss me, I’ll see you at St. Mungo’s for a checkup in just a few days,” Katie smiled.

“I’ll still miss you,” Pansy said seriously. 

“We’ll write you, don’t worry, love. Now, your bag is heavy, so Harry can carry it and Draco can carry you. You’ll need to grab Taco and lovey, but everything else is packed.”

“Okay,” Pansy sighed, squeezing Katie tightly one last time before Draco moved to take her into his arms. She felt a bit clearer headed than she had in days, but she was still extremely sad at the thought of leaving two people who’d been so nice to her. “Thank you for being nice to me…”

She didn’t have the words to say everything she was feeling, her emotions were far too strong for her vocabulary, but deep down she knew they understood.

Katie smiled, somewhat tearfully as she moved back to stand next to her husband, aware that they needed to send the school-aged trio on their merry way.

“We love you, Pansy. We’re always here for you and can’t wait to see you soon.”

With that, Pansy waved goodbye as Draco stepped into the Floo, calling out Professor Black’s office.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No it's fine, this is just 13.2k words on... 24 hours.
> 
> This fic isn't going to be like my other fics where I stick to a strict schedule of chapters and plot movement... I really like writing age play, and this fic has been a super good balm for my mind in the craziness of America as we await the election results. 
> 
> On that note, if there's anything that you want to see or any caregiver/little couples you'd like me to introduce, please let me know! I've purposely left room in my students at Hogwarts for anyone I'm forgetting. Thanks to everyone who's commented.

It was only a moment before Draco stepped out into Professor Black’s chambers, the man reading a book with Hermione curled up at his side.

“Welcome back,” Sirius smiled, placing the book upside down on the couch so he didn’t lose where they were.

“Hey, Hermione,” Harry smiled, waving to his friend as he walked through.

“Harry, Draco, Pansy,” she greeted, waving. “Daddy says we’re going to have a sleepover in the littles dorm tonight!”

Sirius smiled, “Hermione and I were chatting and thought it might be nice for you to have a friend to sleep with you tonight, Pansy. I’ll be on shift and so will Professor Snape, so we’ll be able to help with anything you need.”

Pansy didn’t really understand what they were saying, but nodded. She realized it was always just easier to nod and count on Harry and Draco to handle things.

Harry felt increasingly flummoxed and guilty over the way that they gave Pansy the bare amount of details necessary to get by. Deep down, he understood that most littles functioned at the level of their headspace, but it still made him uncomfortable to be making so many decisions for the girl before she’d had a chance to fully settle into herself. But then, when he was reminded of the anxious expression that often overtook her face when tasked with decision-making, he felt a little better. 

He also felt more determined than ever to ensure that she was happy, healthy, and well-cared for. It was the least that they could do for a girl who’d slipped through the cracks for so long without anyone reaching out a helping hand. She deserved a do-over, and he’d make sure she was loved on fully for the rest of her life.

“Ready for dinner?” Sirius asked, standing up and reaching a hand down for Hermione. She was small for a seventh year, but the only seventh year Harry had met that hadn’t chosen to undergo the dually referenced Resizing Remedy or Little Permanence Potion. Her three caregivers were endlessly patient with the girl, but Harry knew she’d recently agreed to take it after finishing Hogwarts, stating that she didn’t want anything to get in the way of her end of year examinations.

“We didn’t finish,” Hermione frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

“We can finish tonight, love,” Sirius promised, booping the girl’s nose. “I’m sure Pansy would love to read with us. But now, roast chicken awaits!”

“Green beans too,” Hermione pointed out.

“Yuck!” Sirius exclaimed dramatically, drawing a giggle out of the two littles. “Nothing green for me, you can have all of the green beans you want. Harry, leave her trunk here and an elf will take it up for you.”

“Hermione,” Pansy asked somewhat nervously. “Do you know what mac and cheese is?”

The girl’s eyes lit up, “Oh, yes! My mum made it lots growing up… she even put chicken in it sometimes!”

Pansy looked down in awe at Hermione from her perch in Draco’s arms, completely engrossed in the conversation and unaware of the gawking eyes of their fellow students seeing her in the arms of Draco Malfoy.

“That sounds yum… I like muggle food!”

“We should get pizza! Daddy, can you get us pizza?” Hermione asked, looking up with pleading eyes at the tall man.

Sirius sighed as though he was thinking over the request; he certainly wasn’t a pushover, despite what Remus said.

“Not tonight, button, but we can get pizza soon. We’ll just have to coordinate with mama so she can bring it here.”

“Yum, you’ll love it! Dominos gives you lots of garlic and butter on the crust, it’s so yum!” Hermione exclaimed.

“I fell asleep before pizza,” Pansy pouted. “Remember?”

Harry and Draco nodded.

“We’ll make sure you don’t fall asleep this time,” Harry promised. “Sounds like Hermione has a good eye for quality pizza.”

Draco swallowed a comment about how he could already feel the acidic feeling in his throat that came after eating far too much tomato sauce. Acid reflux, Lily called it.

“Pans, where do you want to sit?” Draco asked as they made their way to the ground level of the school.

“You,” Pansy replied immediately. “Harry and you.”

“Of course, sweetheart. We can sit over with the lions and see how Ginny’s doing,” Draco replied easily.

“Me too!” Hermione said. “I don’t want to sit with you, daddy. Professor Slughorn will ask about exams and I don’t want to talk about them.”

Sirius laughed, knowing how much the lower-level potions professor irritated her. Like father, like daughter, not that he ever let Hermione know that he couldn’t stand Horace Slughorn. The girl, whether feeling big or small, was an unintentional blabbermouth.

“No worries, pudding, Harry will help you get situated,” Sirius said, knowing Harry would do exactly that. The Gryffindor was used to his friend’s in-between headspace, and even though she was mostly independent, she needed help plating her food. The last thing they needed was a spoonful of hot potatoes to a little’s face.

Hermione rolled her eyes, muttering about how she didn’t need any help.

“I’ll see you lot later,” Sirius said, bending down to press a kiss to Hermione’s hair. “Eat some green beans for me, love.”

“Yes, daddy,” Hermione replied, ever the respectful girl. She let out a groan when she caught sight of the Gryffindor table.

“What’s wrong?” Draco asked, eyes alert.

“Ron is being annoying and keeps asking me to write his Charms paper!” she groaned, not monitoring her volume as she walked towards the neutral in question. “He told me he won’t become an auror if I don’t.”

Harry and Draco shared a sharp look. Ron was constantly toeing the lines of what was acceptable when it came to the treatment of littles; he’d always tell Harry that he didn’t really believe the muggleborn was a little. Even Molly Weasley had trouble getting sense into her son’s thick skull, but Harry knew he’d now have to bring this to Sirius to handle. They all loved Ron, truly, but he’d taken it too far this time.

“Ron is being dramatic, Hermione. If he fails, it’s his own fault. Would you like me to say something if he brings it up?” Harry asked, never wanting to step on his friend’s toes.

She looked to ponder for a second as they got even closer to the table before nodding. “Yes, please.”

“Of course,” Harry said, sliding onto the bench across from Ginny and Ron. “Heya.”

“Hey guys,” Ginny said, turning her beaming smile on Pansy. “Hi Pansy!”

“Hi Ginny,” the girl said shyly, grumbling as Draco turned to put her on the bench next to him and off of his lap. “Did you see your brother Charlie?”

“You remembered,” Ginny smiled. “I did! He even brought pictures of the dragons he’s been working with. Want to see?”

“After we eat,” Draco cut in softly. “We don’t want to ruin your photographs with your brother’s gravy spitting mouth.”

Pansy giggled, looking up at Draco in surprise.

“Bugger off, Malfoy,” Ron said through a mouthful of bread, proving Draco’s very point.

“Language, Ron,” Harry reminded with a sigh.

The redhead’s eyes bulged out at the chastisement, and he had the decency to blush.

“Gor… sorry, I didn’t know she was....”

“You’re good, mate. No one did,” Harry replied, glad that Pansy was busy helping Draco pick out what she wanted to eat.

“Such a good eater,” Draco praised, plopping some green beans onto her plate.

“Don’t take them all!” Hermione scolded, shifting nervously at the thought of not having green beans.

“I’ve got you,” Harry soothed, filling Hermione’s plate up with her favourite foods cut in bite-sized pieces, namely a heaping pile of green beans.

“Thank you!” Hermione exclaimed before digging in.

Pansy looked down at the silverware, both sad and nervous as she thought about the way Katie and Marcus fed her themselves or let her use her hands. She couldn’t help but feel a lingering sense of embarrassment at the thought of using her hands to scoop up food in front of everyone at school when she’d been daintily cutting her chicken herself only a few weeks ago.

Harry and Draco shared a knowing look over her head.

“Why don’t you try using this fork?” Draco suggested, pulling a rubber coated fork from the small container of little-approved silverware at the center of the table. The silverware was purchased from a muggle company, but was much easier to use than the fancy, large utensils that caregivers and neutrals used and was placed sporadically on each table in the Great Hall. “I cut your food up already, you should be good to go.”

“Thank you,” Pansy said automatically, taking the pink fork into a slightly unsteady hand and stabbing a piece of skinless roast chicken on its tines.

Pansy didn’t notice how other seventh years started to move down the table towards the group, wanting to both catch up with their friends and learn what was going on with the girl between Draco and Harry.

“Hey mates, hey Pansy,” a sunnily smiling Neville greeted as he dragged his plate down towards them. 

“Nev, how are you?” Harry asked with a smile of his own.

“Just knackered. Someone stole a bunch of potting soil from Professor Sprout’s storage greenhouse, and we spent the day buying more in Diagon Alley. I reckon I’ve lost two stone from the amount of lifting I did.”

Pansy looked up in surprise, “Why?”

“I’m not sure, Pansy. Some kids think they’re being funny when they’re just being mean.”

“Did they take my vegetables?” she asked, looking extremely worried.

“Why don’t we check with Professor Sprout after dinner?” Harry suggested, drawing a vigorous nod from Pansy.

“What did you plant?” Neville asked.

“Food!” Pansy beamed. “I didn’t know where vegetables came from, but Professor Sprout said you make them by loving seeds and giving them water!”

Neville was smiling widely, completely unaware that his sister’s friend was interested in Herbology.

“That’s so neat, Pansy. I’d love to see the plot you’ve been working on sometime soon.”

“Okay!” she agreed easily, happy that someone cared about what she’d been working on.

“Speaking of work,” Draco started, getting a dark look from Harry who knew exactly where he was taking things. Harry loved Draco, but sometimes he didn’t know when to stop. “Has everyone finished the Charms essay? Who would’ve thought I could write two feet about potential upgrades to the blackboard writing spell.”

Like clockwork, Ron let out a groan. “I have no idea what to write… Mione, you said you’d help, right?”

“No, Ronald!” she fumed, leaving Draco feeling slightly guilty that he’d instigated this plot. “I’m busy!”

The redhead put on what he thought to be a convicting set of puppy dog eyes. “I just need to skate to the auror academy, Mione! Won’t you help me?”

“Ron,” Harry warned. “Enough. We’ve talked about this before.”

“I just don’t understand why she can’t help me write it,” Ron mumbled.

“That’s cheating!” Pansy piped up, looking very affronted. Harry and Draco were amused to see her Hufflepuff tendencies at play. “Professor McGonagall said asking people to help you write is cheating and you should tell a professor if someone’s cheating.”

The boy’s eyes bulged, “What do you know about cheating, firstie!”

“Ron, just grab your plate and go. You’re only going to dig a deeper hole,” Ginny warned.

“Thanks, Gin,” Hermione said as he left to move and sit with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan further up the table. “He’s just so annoying sometimes.”

Harry, Draco and Neville laughed, used to Hermione’s honesty both in and out of her headspace.

Dinner continued on uneventfully, with neither Draco or Harry missing the way Pansy started yawning near the end of the long back-to-Hogwarts feast. Even though it was only a two week break, the headmaster and elves took any and every excuse to throw a celebratory dinner.

“Looks like everyone’s done eating. Why don’t we head up now and beat the rush?” Draco suggested. 

“One more bite,” Hermione said, taking a large scoop of vanilla ice cream into her mouth. “Okay, I’m good!”

“Up, please?” Pansy asked Harry quietly, stomach clenching at the thought of having to ask for what she wanted. Marcus and Katie had told her a million zillion times that no one would know what she needed if she didn’t ask, so she was trying to be better about that. Especially after she was promised that people wouldn’t be annoyed with her, like her mother and father always were, when she asked for what she needed, even if it was just food or water. Habits were hard to break.

“Of course, petal,” Harry smiled, overjoyed at the simple request. “Let’s go.”

The Great Hall may have been buzzing with happy conversations, but that didn’t mean that no one watched Hogwarts’ super couple leave the room, one of them with a small girl in their arms. Thankfully, no one could tell who it was, and if they weren’t sitting near the Gryffindor table then they wouldn’t have been able to tell who it was.

By the time they got to the little dorms, which were on the second floor of the school, Pansy was squirming in Harry’s arm.

“You okay?” Harry murmured, aware of how voices carried in the hallway.

Pansy shook her head, and Harry could feel tears on his neck.

“Wet,” she whispered quietly.

“We’ll get you clean and in pyjamas in just a mo, sweetheart. Thank you for telling me,” Harry praised. “There’s no need to cry… you’re okay.”

“Couldn’t hold it,” she whispered.

“Our bodies are silly, and yours is just doing what it needs to. No one’s ever going to fault you for what your magic and body do,” Harry promised. He couldn’t imagine how jarring it was to go from using the loo to having your body go without you even recognizing it, so he wanted to soothe Pansy as much as he could without embarrassing her.

Pansy only nodded, having nothing else to say as the nervousness of someone who wasn’t Katie or Marcus taking care of her hiy. What if they got sick of her and didn’t want to play with her since she was so little? It was a fear she’d had even at Katie and Marcus’... being little didn’t go away, so it made a lot of sense that people would get sick of her.

“Here we are, Pansy! It’s really fun in here,” Hermione said. “All you need to do to get in is talk to Mr. Dooger-Clooger and he’ll open the door. He’s really smart and remembers everyone’s face!”

Pansy lifted her head up, rubbing her teary eyes in order to see who the funnily named Mr. Dooger-Clooger was. The very old man was smiling at them from a brightly coloured painting she couldn’t remember seeing before, and had a ton of balloons in his hands.

“Mr. Dooger-Clooger, this is Pansy! She’s little too, but she’s littler than me. Can you let us in? Do you see her face? Do you remember it?”

“Miss Granger, my darling little bookworm! I’ve been so lonely without you and your friends… and Miss Pansy, what an honour. Welcome to our little slice of heaven.”

“What’s heaven?” Pansy asked, eyes wide as the man shook the bright balloons around and looked like he was going to fly away.

“That’s a long, long story we can talk about soon,” Draco replied, not wanting to get into muggle religion with Hermione present, especially when she was little and prone to pulling out a highlighted and marked-up Bible from her muggle childhood religion classes.

“Professor Snape! Hi! Daddy said you can’t talk to me about exams, but can we talk about how to make bubble bath potions that make my skin soft and glittery?” Hermione asked, bounding over to the man reading on the couch.

He raised an eyebrow at the far-too-awake little.

“We can certainly discuss that. Why don’t you go use the loo and change into your pyjamas?” The man asked, closing his large book with a clap.

“Yes sir!” Hermione agreed, moving quickly down the hall.

Pansy looked around curiously. The large room was much more modern than anything she’d seen at Hogwarts. Dark grey carpet covered the floors, and two large leather sectional couches were set back with pillows and throw blankets on them. She noticed lots of toys tucked neatly onto low shelves along with other things she she didn’t recognize.

“Draco, Harry,” Snape greeted, standing up. “Who’s this?”

“Uncle, this is Pansy Parkinson,” Draco introduced. The man taught potions to fifth, sixth, and seventh years, having been begged by Headmaster Dumbledore to take up a teaching position at Hogwarts.

“Hello, Pansy,” the man said softly, moving over to the trio. “My name is Professor Snape, I teach Potions to the older students.”

“You can call him Uncle Sev like I do,” Draco whispered theatrically, drawing a shocked gasp out of Pansy at the mere idea.

“If you must, but only you. You hear that, Potter?” the man said in as playful a tone as he could.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Uncle Sev,” Harry replied, drawing a giggle from Pansy.

“He said you couldn’t!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll just owl his mother,” Snape replied.

Pansy giggled. “You know Miss Lily?”

“I do,” the man confirmed. “We were neighbors growing up, and remained friends throughout our time at school even though we were in different houses.”

“Like us,” Pansy confirmed, looking between Draco and Harry.

“Exactly like us,” Harry replied. “Professor, mind if we go get Pansy changed for bed quickly?”

The man hid his surprised expression well, knowing of course from his husband that there was a newly classified, very young little at Hogwarts, but the thought that she’d already become accustomed to nappies was not something he expected. But then again, he knew that every little was different, and there was no way to predict how a traumatized girl would settle into her headspace.

“Third door on the right,” the man directed.

“All littles stay here?” Pansy asked.

Harry nodded, “All littles do at some point. For example, Hermione goes home with her family some nights, but when she doesn’t she stays here. It’s just easier since caregivers are here all day and all night to help out.”

“You help?”

“We do,” Draco confirmed. “Sixth and seventh year caregivers have a shift once a week, and fifth years shadow twice a week. Ministry fosters like Katie and Marcus and professors that are caregivers also come to help out and fill in the gaps in coverage.”

“You help tonight?”

“Professors Black and Snape are on shift, but we’ll be here until you go to bed.”

Professors who were caregivers were always on duty the first night back from breaks, knowing that littles were likely to be more emotional about leaving their parents and families.

Pansy smiled at that, far less nervous now that she knew they weren’t leaving.

“The elves outdid themselves,” Harry observed approvingly as they walked into Pansy’s new room. “Looks like you won’t have any roommates, but we can get someone else to stay with you if you want.”

Looking at the room and seeing a crib, the men knew that there were no other extremely young female littles, and the school had strict rules against little boys and girls being roomed together.

“Don’t know,” Pansy said, bringing her thumb up to her mouth and rubbing it against her lip uncertainly.

“That’s okay, let’s get you changed. Looks like the elves even set Taco and lovey up in your new crib,” Harry said.

“Want, please,” Pansy said, reaching a hand out towards the white and pink crib as she was laid on the changing table.

“As the princess commands,” Draco said regally, wanting to take the girl’s mind off of her first diaper change at Hogwarts.

“Not a princess,” she giggled, focusing on the blond instead of the man currently wriggling fuzzy sweatpants down her body.

“Hm… Malfoys have a long line of princesses in our ancestry, I think I know a princess when I see one. Now, what does the princess want to wear to bed? I hear you have some new clothes.”

“Mhm, soft clothes that don’t itch,” Pansy confirmed. Katie and Marcus had apologized for not getting Pansy that many new outfits, but the girl had teared up when she realized she’d now have more than just her comfy Grinch nightie to wear without feeling like she was going to burst into flames.

“Let’s see, looks like the elves folded everything up into your drawers. How about this?” Draco held up a pink and white polka dotted nightie, approving of the soft fabric even though he knew they’d be buying her far nicer, custom-fitted clothes. He made a note to owl his mother in the morning. Honestly, though, he wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t already have a package on the way to the school after taking Pansy’s measurements over Christmas ‘just in case.’ The woman was always 10 steps ahead.

“Yeah,” Pansy replied.

“There we go,” Harry exclaimed, taping the right tab of Pansy’s diaper closed. “Hands up and we’ll get your jumper off.”

“Sleepy,” she yawned, not moving to get up from the surprisingly comfortable changing table.

Draco didn’t reply, moving to tip Pansy into a sitting position and tag-teaming the task of redressing her with Harry.

“There we go,” Harry crooned, picking the girl back up in his arms after spelling his hands clean and getting a fond eye roll for his efforts. One of the first things drilled into their heads as caregivers was safety and sanitation, and that meant learning how to perform nonverbal, wandless washing spells in case they couldn’t head to a washroom after changing a little.

“I’m sure the others have arrived, why don’t we go back to the common room?” Draco suggested.

Pansy put her thumb into her mouth, holding her lovey and Taco between Harry’s chest and her own.

“Accio pacifier,” Draco muttered, pleased when a light pink and white pacifier smacked into his hands. “There we go, no yucky hands in your mouth.”

Pansy didn’t reply, only sucking happily on the rubber teat as they walked out. Maybe being a little wasn’t so bad if her needs were anticipated before she even knew them!

There were a few littles in the common room, including Hermione who had a pad of paper where she was writing furiously as Professor Snape spoke patiently to her. Professor Black was on the ground with two littles and a train set. Pansy watched them play with curiosity, but was more than content to stay in Harry’s arms.

The man sat down on the couch near Professor Snape, careful not to jostle the precious bundle in his arms. Pansy went to let out a cry when her pacifier was removed from her mouth, but was stopped by the feeling of another teat in her mouth.

“Sh… you’re okay, baby,” Draco soothed, petting her hair back as Harry reclined her in his arms.

She took a tentative suckle of the bottle, eyes closing in pleasure at the taste of warm milk. It was hard to keep her eyes open as she was ensconced in a set of strong arms and a warm drink made its way to her belly.

“Does Pansy want to read with daddy and I?” Hermione asked, looking expectantly at the drowsily drinking girl.

“Pansy is going to bed now, Hermione. I’m sure she’d love to read with you both tomorrow,” Draco said, not wanting Harry to speak and jostle an almost sleeping Pansy. If it was this easy to put her down, Draco looked forward to the future. They’d really lucked out.

“It’s early!” Hermione exclaimed.

“Hermione,” Professor Snape said warningly. “All people are different; do you go to bed at the same time as your brother?”

“No way! He stays up until the middle of the night and papa takes his wand and games away,” Hermione replied, shaking her head.

“Exactly. everyone needs different amounts of sleep, and we need to respect it. Yes?”

“Yes, sir,” she said, looking properly chastised. “Will you help me make bubble bath tomorrow? Maybe Pansy would like some.”

“That’s a fine idea,” the black-haired man replied. “Stay after potions tomorrow morning and we can brew.”

Harry pulled the almost empty bottle from Pansy’s mouth and immediately popped the pacifier back in, not wanting her to gulp air and upset her stomach.

“Let’s take her to bed before it gets rowdy in here,” Harry suggested, standing up. “I don’t see Dennis here yet…”

Draco let out a dramatic sigh, “Merlin, good thinking… he could wake up a hibernating bear.”

“Not wrong,” Harry laughed, nodding to Sirius as he stood.

It was easy to get the girl into her crib with her two beloved comfort items after making sure her nappy was still dry, but both Harry and Draco found themselves not wanting to leave.

“I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is no,” Draco warned, pressing a kiss onto his betrothed’s temple. “Routines are important for little girls, and you’re not going to spend the first night in here with her and have her thinking that’s normal.”

“What if she needs us?” Harry asked, green eyes full of concern.

“If she needs someone, Sirius and Uncle Sev are here,” Draco replied, knowing that Harry was likely to get caught up in thinking Pansy needed them specifically.

“They aren’t us,” Harry muttered.

“That doesn’t mean anything right now, Harry. You’re not her caregiver, and you need to remember that as difficult as it may be.”

Harry just nodded stiffly, knowing that Draco was right but still upset with his harsh words.

After making sure the girl was comfortable, the crib’s railing was firmly in place and the lights were dimmed, they left and headed back to the common area. As they’d predicted, even more littles had arrived in the post-dinner rush. They watched with small smiles as excited reunions took place, namely one Dennis Creevey running around hugging everyone until Professor Snape gently directed him to sit on the couch and take a moment to breathe.

“All set?” Sirius asked, standing up. The room was, as usual, a mix of caregivers and littles, leaving him a minute to breathe and leave the young ones in the hands of other students.

“Yeah, she’s out like a light,” Harry confirmed. “Should we stay the night?”

“Harry,” Draco and Sirius groaned at the same time.

“She’ll be fine, Snape and I are on shift for a reason,” Sirius soothed. “There're only eight little ones who stay at Hogwarts now, a few more contracts got finalized over the holidays. We are more than capable of handling them in the off chance they don’t all sleep like rocks.”

Harry wasn’t surprised to hear that; most littles ended up with caregivers who were older than themselves, solely based on the fact that sixth and seventh years were tasked with shifts in the littles dorm and had the chance to build stronger connections with them. 

He of course knew the littles that were still staying at Hogwarts.

Dennis Creevey was close to Hannah Abbott and Ernie MacMillan, seventh years, and would officially become their little after they graduated. 

Hermione stayed at the school most nights, but often went home to Remus and Marlene when Sirius deemed she needed a break. 

Tracey Davis, a muggleborn seventh year Slytherin, was an older little at about 9 in her headspace, and Harry knew it’d been hard for her to settle into her headspace so far. A foster couple had already agreed to take her on after graduating to help her, and Harry was sincerely hoping that she’d be more comfortable with her classification once she was paired with an experienced couple. 

Luna Lovegood was one of Harry’s favourite littles, if he was being honest, and knew Draco felt similarly. The girl was a bit of an enigma, and her headspace fluctuated rapidly. Her biological father, a neutral, had reservations about her being placed with a caregiver permanently, and Headmaster Dumbledore had a massive headache trying to rectify the man’s worries and comply with the school’s regulations as well as wizarding law. 

Luna, as it turned out, couldn’t care less for her father’s worries. She’d not bonded with anyone to this point, but had submitted herself to go into a rotating foster care situation following graduation so she could find caregivers that fit her needs. The move had been made in consultation with Sirius, but the girl seemed excited to find someone who bonded with her.

Harry and Draco had had many honest conversations about their future little, and both of them had agreed that they’d want a little who was biologically younger than them. That would give them the opportunity to be secure in their roles as caregivers and fathers instead of growing into the role as their little settled into their headspace. 

As seventh years, they’d clocked hundreds of hours of experience in the little dorms as well as volunteering at daycares over the summers. They both felt well-equipped to adopt their own little despite feeling judgemental at first for disregarding littles who were closer to their own age. Now with Pansy, a little who’d require both a soft touch and firm rules, they felt grateful to have dived into hands-on experience rather than scouting out a little as soon as they could. They felt confident in their ability to care for their princess, but of course the real test would be when shit hit the fan.

“Just head up to bed and get settled before classes tomorrow,” Sirius said, clapping a comforting hand on his godson’s arm.

“Can we talk to you for a moment?” Draco asked, glancing over at Hermione who was now in conversation over a large picture book that Luna had plopped on her skinny legs.

“Of course,” Sirius nodded, going to tell Severus that he was stepping out.

They headed into the quiet room that was right off the main common room, one that was used for study sessions as well as calming down any angry or upset littles who needed privacy. It always smelled like chamomile, and Harry felt calmer even just walking into the space.

They sat down on three incongruent chairs, the room full of different mechanisms to calm down the diverse littles in Hogwarts’ care. Harry remembered his shock at seeing the room; there were normal desks, rocking chairs, bean bags, bouncy chairs, swings, literally anything and everything that little ones could need to regroup and calm down.

“Stop me if you’ve already heard, but we wanted to bring Ronald Weasley’s behavior to your attention,” Draco started.

Sirius’ eyes immediately narrowed, “What now?”

“He’s told Hermione that if she doesn’t write his Charms essay that he won’t make it into the auror academy,” Draco replied, eyes sharp. “I casually mentioned Charms at dinner to see if he’d be daft enough to ask her again in front of us, and he did. She seemed highly distressed over it.”

“Dumber than a box of rocks, that one. I’ll handle it, I appreciate you letting me know, boys.”

Harry and Draco said goodnight to the assorted crowd before heading out of the room, Draco automatically following Harry up to his Head Boy’s dorm. They were both grateful for the private space, especially when no one ever mentioned them sleeping together as a problem. They kept it quiet and respectful, and it seemed their professors didn’t mind that.

xxxxxxxxx

Pansy had always been an early riser, something that’d been the cause for many boring days when she lived with her family before Hogwarts. One could only take so many naps and reorganize their meagre collection of books so many times.

She let out a whimper as she woke up this morning, feeling what was becoming the telltale signs of a soiled diaper as she curled up on her side. At this point, her cries were less about embarrassment or shame and more about the yucky feeling of a gross diaper.

“What’s the fuss, little one?” A voice asked suddenly, and Pansy looked over to see the dark-haired man from last night. Professor Snape, her groggy mind recalled. She didn’t reply, but was grateful when the man picked her and Taco up to bring them over to the changing table. “There we go, we’ll get you nice and clean… how did you sleep?”

“We were comfy and warm,” Pansy sighed, holding Taco to her face.

“This is the one part of the castle that is always warm, we can’t have these little toes falling off!”

Pansy giggled in surprise as the man reached one hand down to tickle her toes. “Not gonna fall off!”

“I’m relieved to hear that, little one,” he replied in a warm voice, one that Pansy noticed he didn’t use last night.

“Why don’t you teach me?” she asked, curiosity outweighing her nervousness at talking to a new person.

“Well, I have two little boys at home and prefer to brew there and keep an eye on them. The headmaster however, wouldn’t stop bothering me in order to have me teach a few classes.”

“Little boys?”

“That’s right, Regulus and Rabastan. They’re both a little older than you, but I’m sure they’d both love to meet you. My husband hung your painting on the wall next to theirs, actually, and they’re quite curious about the little girl he met.”

“Who?” she asked, brows furrowed as the man taped up her diaper and spelled his hands clean. He was already done? She couldn’t believe it!

“Let’s sit up and get you dressed for the day,” the man reached down to grab a new, little-sensitive uniform that’d been made for the girl, pleased with the softness of the material as it touched his potions-worn hands. “My husband is Tom Riddle, do you remember meeting him?”

Pansy wiggled excitedly at the news. “He’s my friend! Gave me paints.”

“That’s right,” it was the first time Pansy saw the man smile, and thought he looked much nicer like that. Not mean like everyone said!

She told him as much, gaining a laugh and nice rub on her newly-clothed back.

“You’re a sweet girl,” the man cooed. “Let’s go clean your teeth and see if anyone else is awake.”

“Your boys here?”

“No, they already graduated from Hogwarts. They’re at home with Tom.”

Pansy frowned, upset that someone who may want to be her friend wasn’t there to play with.

“Professor! My pull up was dry all night! Look!” a rambunctious blond boy squealed as they finished brushing Pansy’s teeth, pulling down his trousers to show the older man his undergarments.

“Well done, Dennis!” Professor Snape praised. “Let’s put another sticker on your chart.”

“Yes! Yes! Threeteen more until a new train!” he yelled, running over to a big piece of paper on the wall that said “DENNIS’ POTTY CHART” in fancy bubble letters.

“Thirteen,” Professor Snape corrected, hiding his snort. The boy had been easy to classify as a little on the sole basis of his exuberance, lack of social awareness, and inability to grasp math. His muggle parents were relieved when Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Black had gone to their house to explain what a classification even was; they were terrified to hear he was behind when he attended muggle school, yet tests yielded no real diagnosis of what the problem was.

“What’s that?” Pansy asked, hoping the man wouldn’t put her down to help Dennis.

“I’m not so good at not going peepee at night! So my mommy and pop helped me make a chart! Now I get toys if I stay dry for two weeks!”

Pansy’s stomach sank a little at that. She remembered Katie saying that it was okay for her to use her diaper, but what if she was wrong? What if you couldn’t use nappies at Hogwarts? Logically, she knew she’d seen other littles in them at school, but what if she was wrong?

“Dennis wants to be potty-trained, but we also have a lot of littles who only use nappies,” Professor Snape explained casually, walking closer to supervise the sticker-wielding boy.

She felt very relieved at that; she wouldn’t be the only one.

“What if… you go potty in class?” Pansy asked at a whisper, though she was certain Dennis was too focused on going through a sticker book filled with weirdly dressed dogs.

Severus was annoyed, yet unsurprised, that Sirius hadn’t broached classroom protocol with the girl.

“That’s a good question. There will always be a caregiver up here, any time of the day or night besides breakfast and dinner, so if you need something during class you can come up here. A caregiver will also always come grab you from class and make sure you get to your next class safely and see if you need anything. There are private changing rooms on every floor of the school, you probably haven’t seen them since they’re well hidden.”

“Morning! Morning! I have to go, the Charms essay is due in an hour and I thought of something in the middle of the night that I must ask Professor Flitwick!” A frantic Hermione said, slinging a heavy looking book bag over her shoulder.

“Hermione, pause.” Snape directed, pleasantly surprised when she stopped. “Did you clean your teeth?”

“Yes! Two happy birthdays long.”

“Good work. Did you plan on eating breakfast?”

“No time, sir!”

“Professor Flitwick will be at breakfast. If you’d like to go down with Dennis, Pansy and I, we can make sure you speak with him.”

“If he’s not there, then I’m not eating!”

Severus knew not to argue; the man would be at breakfast, he always was.

“Hand me your bag, please.”

Severus swung all three littles’ bags over his free shoulder, shifting Pansy to one arm easily. 

“We have to wait for Luna, she’s coming now!”

“I’m here,” a dreamy blonde girl that Pansy hadn’t met said. “Hi, I’m Luna.”

“Hi,” Pansy said shyly. “My name is Pansy.”

“Nice to meet you, I have a book of flowers and pansies are in there.”

Pansy perked up. “Can I see?”

“Tonight after classes,” Snape decided. “We won’t have time for breakfast if we don’t head down soon.”

The quintet made their way down to the Great Hall, no one commenting on how Pansy was perched on their surly professor’s hip. It was easy to forget with the way that Dennis and Hermione sparred back and forth on the fierce fight between hashbrowns and diced potatoes.

“What do you think, Pansy? Luna and I say diced potatoes,” Hermione asked, eyes wide.

“I say hashbrowns, so that evens the fight up,” Snape replied easily, though he truly couldn’t care less about the type of potatoes he was eating. He knew he’d have one son on each side of the argument, and that evening the playing field made it easy for Pansy to share her opinion.

“Hashbrown, I like them mixed with ketchup,” Pansy said softly.

“No! We lose,” Hermione groaned.

“That’s okay,” Luna replied with a shoulder shrug. “Both taste good with enough salt and ketchup.”

“You’re right, but I like them soft and crunchy,” Hermione whined.

“What’s that, girls?” a perky Blaise Zabini asked, bending down to pick up Luna and hold her to his hip. Pansy had seen the pair together before, but was shocked at the open show of affection until she realized Harry and Draco hugged her all the time. 

“Hi,” the Ravenclaw said with a smile. “What kind of potatoes do you like?”

“Hmm,” Blaise replied. “I’m a tater tots guy.”

“Not an answer!” Hermione reprimanded, a stern look on her face. “Breakfast potatoes or hashbrowns only.”

“Hashbrowns, no question, sorry Luna,” Blaise said, pressing a kiss to the girl’s head.

Hermione scowled while Luna just leaned her head on his shoulder in acquiescence. 

“I’ll be at the head table if you need me” Severus said as they entered the mostly empty Great Hall. The man was unsurprised to see Harry and Draco at the Gryffindor table already. “Pansy, where would you like to sit?”

Her eyes were trained on Harry and Draco, and she pointed to them. The man swallowed a sigh as he carried her over to an overager Potter who looked far too much like his father with such a dopey expression.

“Good morning, Pansy!” the Potter heir cheered, looking far too awake for the early hour.

Snape wasn’t offended at the way she reached out towards the other man with her free arm, and he cursed himself when he realized he still had all of the students’ bags on his arm.

“Her bag, Draco,” Snape said, shuffling around to find Pansy’s raggedy schoolbag. That should be the boys first purchase, he thought to himself.

“I’m buying her a new one,” Draco muttered as he took the holey bag.

“A wise choice,” his godfather replied before walking over to Hermione and Luna where Blaise was plating them food at the Ravenclaw table.

“How’d you sleep, love?” Harry asked, starting to plate food for Pansy. She was pleased, after their conversation, to see that hashbrowns were on the menu today.

“Was sleepy,” she replied, accepting the rubber fork that Draco handed to her. “Nervous to see people…”

“There’s no reason to be nervous, love,” Draco soothed. “Would you like your friends to eat with us?”

Pansy thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. She’d rather eat without anyone bugging her and get to class and talk for a few minutes before being silenced by professors. She could only feel a bit guilty about her Slytherin-like thoughts, but at the end of the day, she wasn’t ready to see them and would respect herself.

“Then you can see them when class starts. Let’s grab a straw for your water,” Draco said, reaching back into the little silverware container to grab a swirly straw.

“Thank you,” Pansy said, slurping up water as soon as Draco had placed the straw. She was embarrassed at how much she liked bottles, but would honestly prefer one to the cup and straw she was currently using.

“Of course, sweetheart,” Draco smiled. “Ah, here’s the mail…”

Pansy’s jaw dropped at how many packages dropped in front of them, most being carried by three or four large owls.

“Just as I suspected… all for our Pansy. Would you like help opening them?” Harry asked, receiving an uncertain look.

“Now?”

“We can open them now or later,” Draco replied easily. “Why don’t we start with one?”

Pansy nodded, not comfortable with the eyes that she felt on her from across the Great Hall.

Weather-resistant charms allowed Narcissa and Lily to send packages that were only wrapped in beautiful paper and ribbons.

Him and Draco weren’t competitive, per se, but he wasn’t surprised when Draco picked a black and silver present up first. A present wrapped in those colours could only be from a Malfoy.

She was very meticulous as she unwrapped it, the same way that she’d been on Christmas a few months before.

There was a card on top of the box that she read.

“Can you read it to us?” Harry asked quietly, wishing they could go upstairs to open gifts privately, but knowing it was too close to the end of breakfast. At this rate, they’d only get through two of the twelve or so packages.

“My Pansy flower, I hope your new outfits keep you warm and comfortable in the chilly castle. Love, your nana.”

“Oh!” Pansy exclaimed, eyes wide at nicely folded clothes. She reached a tentative hand into the box, pulling out multiple pretty nighties, including a few that had snaps on them. She didn’t understand what they were for, but rubbed the soft fabrics across her face nonetheless. “Fuzzy!”

“Nice! Some soft pyjamas for bedtime,” Draco smiled, happy to see that his mother’s gift was so well-received. 

“Why don’t you open this next, then we can open the rest after classes tonight,” Draco suggested, already seeing how overwhelmed the little girl was. They were trying to see what her headspace was like when attending classes, and any additional obstacles, like countless presents, wouldn’t allow for them to see how she was doing on a normal day.

Pansy nodded obediently, reaching another careful hand down to open the box. This one had a letter from Lily that she read out loud without being prompted.

“Dearest Pansy, I hope these allow for many fun playdates with your friends. Love, your grammy Lily.”

The girl giggled and blushed at the way the woman addressed herself, unaware of the way both sets of the boys’ parents had already been fighting over what the girl would call them since Christmas.

The girl opened up the box to see colouring books with bright characters she’d never seen. There were crayons, as she’d learned about at Katie and Marcus’ house, in a yellow and green box that boasted holding 120 colours.

“Wow!” Pansy beamed, flipping through one of the books and imagining how much she’d enjoy colouring in them. “These are to draw in! I wasn’t good at staying in the lines, but Katie still put it on the wall.”

“All that matters is having fun,” Harry replied soothingly, pressing a kiss on the girl’s temple. “I’d love some art to put on my wall.”

“Really?” Pansy asked, pointing to herself adorably. “From me?”

“Absolutely,” he replied with a serious nod. “I would love anything you wanted to make me.”

“Okay,” she nodded shyly, smiling.

“Would you like any more food?” Draco asked, roving his eyes over her mostly-eaten plate with approval.

“No thank you,” She replied.

It’s almost time for classes, what do you think about walking over with Addie and Celeste? I know they’ve missed you,” Harry chimed in.

“Scared,” Pansy whispered, looking down.

“Don’t be scared,” Hermione chimed in, giving Pansy a smile from across the table. “I was scared too and didn’t want to talk to Harry when I was classified. But he gave me a big hug and told me we were friends forever! Mama said anyone who doesn’t want to be my friend is silly because I was always little, now it’s just official. Same for you!”

Pansy was quiet for a moment as she processed the older little’s words before nodding.

“Okay. You come, Draco?” Pansy asked. She trusted both men next to her to protect her, but she protected Draco when it came to other people. He wouldn’t let them get away with being mean to her.

“Of course, sweetheart,” the man smiled, feeling oddly choked up at Pansy trusting him to protect her. “Harry will make sure all of your gifts get upstairs.”

“I’ll see you soon,” the Gryffindor said.

“Bye Pansy! Good luck!” Hermione waved, gathering her own bag.

Draco was hard pressed not to grab Pansy’s hand or pick her up as they walked across the Great Hall to the Hufflepuff table and busied himself with slinging both his bag and hers over his shoulder. He wanted to hit himself when he realized she was still lugging around the awfully worn bag she’d come to school with; he really needed to rectify that immediately.

“Pansy! Pansy!” a sweet, light voice shouted, and two first years ran over to pull his girl into their arms.

“Pansy! We missed you! You didn’t owl us! We were so scared!” the dark-haired girl squealed, voice moving a mile a minute in the way only little girls could accomplish.

“My daddy even owled the headmaster, I am so happy you’re okay!” Addie said, her eyes looking exactly like her older brother’s.

Pansy looked extremely distraught and pleased over the girls’ worry. For someone who didn’t have a good measurement of what it was like to have people who loved her, their concern meant a great deal.

“I’m okay,” Pansy said honestly. “I missed you.”

“We missed you! We saw your bed was gone and we just… are sad! Will you still be our friend?” Addie asked, eyes heartbreakingly sincere and nervous.

“Of course!” Pansy replied, her eyes filling with tears of their own. “I thought you wouldn’t like me.”

“Never, Pansy! You’re our sister forever and ever!” Addie promised.

He knew it was in bad form, but if Draco was a betting man… he’d guess the girl was a little. He knew that August Longbottom, Neville and Addie’s grandmother, had a brother who was a little, so it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary.

The blond felt very much like a fawning, middle-aged father as he watched the trio hug.

“Welcome to the club, mate,” Ernie MacMillan said with a cheery smile, standing up from the Hufflepuff table before helping Dennis stand. “Let me or Hannah know if you need anything, yeah?”

“Thanks, mate,” Draco said honestly. He couldn’t say that he had spoken much to the Hufflepuff outside of caregiver matters, but knew that he would be in need of every resource he could get his hands on. “A bit of a whirlwind.”

“It is, but count your blessings that she’s not a whirlwind like this one,” Ernie laughed, smiling down indulgently at the resized fifth-year who stood a bit taller than hip height on him.

“Hi Draco! I got another sticker today!” the dirty blond little exclaimed, pulling on Draco’s extremely expensive robes.

“No way! Great job, Dennis. How many more until your next reward?” the man asked, smiling genuinely down at the little. Dennis was always bouncing off the walls, which was one of the reasons that Draco had often been matched with him for post-class pickup. The Slytherin had a commanding, calming air about him that the little responded well to. Hannah and Ernie, however, were the perfect blend of kind, patient and stern for the little, and Draco knew it was a fantastic match.

“Um… oh no. I forget again! How many, pop?” the little asked with a distraught look up at his caregiver.

“That’s okay, buddy,” Ernie soothed, running a large hand over the boy’s head. “Thirteen more dry nights until a new train.” 

“Thirteen! I’m not so good at numbers,” the boy shrugged, and Draco had to hide a smile. “We go now, I have to go potty and hug Colin!”

“Let’s go, bud. Nice to see you, Draco!”

“Bye Draco!” Dennis waved, booking it out of the hall while Ernie followed closely behind him.

“Girls, looks like it’s time for class. Do you know what you have first?” Draco asked gently, bending down slightly to be heard over the din of the moving crowd.

“Transfiguration!” Celeste responded. “Hi Draco.”

“Hello, Celeste. I hope you had a nice holiday; be sure to tell your brother that I send my best.”

“I will! Let’s go now so we can sit up front!”

Draco reluctantly handed Pansy’s bag over to her, giving her a soft smile but not saying anything. Unlike Harry, he had self control and wouldn’t embarrass Pansy publicly, especially while she wasn’t an ‘out’ little or his daughter. If she wanted affection, he’d give it to her, but until then… he’d be calm and collected. He was a Malfoy, after all.

“I see you?” Pansy asked quietly, uncertain eyes on Draco. He hated the vulnerable look in her eyes.

“Yes, love, I’ll see you at lunch. Ginny will come get you after your next class and make sure you get to your next one.”

She looked a bit annoyed at that, but nodded and was dragged off by her friends before Draco could dig deeper into that. He straightened his shoulders and headed back over to the Gryffindor table, knowing that he, Hermione and Harry had potions first thing that morning.

xxxxxxxxx

As Transfigurations was wrapping up, Pansy had a quick thought of how normal it was. No one said anything to her, but what would they say when Professor McGonagall was watching?

As she exited the class with Addie and Celeste, Ginny was already out there waiting.

“How was class?” she asked, smiling at the three girls.

“Good! We turned itchy fabrics into something softer, it was very useful!” Celeste smiled. “Pansy, do you have a free period too?”

The girl realized she hadn’t looked at her schedule to know, but Ginny chimed in, much to Pansy’s relief.

“I think she’s got class with Professor Black until lunch, sorry girls.”

“We’ll see you at lunch, please sit with us!” Addie said, waving before skipping away with Celeste. Hufflepuffs, man.

“They moved class to Mondays?” Pansy asked, brow furrowed.

“Nah, love, it’s a different class for only littles and caregivers.”

“What is it?” Pansy asked anxiously. Why did people keep surprising her with scary things?

“Don’t worry, Pansy,” Ginny soothed, reaching a hand down to rub the girl’s shoulder. “It’s just a class to help classified littles become comfortable.”

“Are you in class too?” she asked, but truly wanting to see if Draco and Harry were in the class.

“I’m not, it’s only newly classified littles and caregivers, so fifth, sixth and seventh years aren’t in it. I’ll stay with you until you’re comfortable.”

They’d headed to a room Pansy had never seen that was filled with a bunch of people she didn’t recognize. She thought she was going to be sick.

Instead of looking like a classroom, the room looked much like the common room of her new dorm that was only one door down. The only difference was the big chalkboard at the front of the classroom and couches and bean bags throughout the room. It was certainly equipped for far more people than the littles dorm was.

“Oh, there’s Tommen Nott!” Ginny exclaimed. “He’s a fourth year caregiver, let’s go see him.”

Pansy felt numb, moving only because Ginny was ushering her forward. 

She felt like there were clouds in her brain as Ginny introduced her to the tall boy who was wearing a green and silver tie. Slytherin… but not the one she was hoping for. She wanted Draco.

“Guys and gals! Welcome back. I hope everyone had a great break and is ready to get back to it. Let’s get right down to business, you know the drill.” Professor Black exclaimed from the front of the room, Pansy couldn’t see him from her vantage point in the middle of the room, but recognized his voice anywhere.

“Bye Pansy! I’ll see you after class,” Ginny said before rocketing out of the room.”

Conversation broke out immediately, and Pansy felt slightly panicked as people started pairing off and walking around the room to different doors.

“-Pansy? Are you listening?” Tommen asked, voice raising up gently as he realized the girl wasn’t looking at him or paying attention.

“Sorry,” she squeaked, looking down at the ground and trying to swallow her confused tears. She wasn’t comfortable with changes to her routines, that’s how Katie put it, at least, and this was all too much for her.

“No one’s shared any information with us about your needs, but… Are you wearing a nappy? Do you need a change?”

Pansy’s face turned bright red and tears filled her eyes, telltale signs to the fourth year that she needed to be changed. He’d been classified since he turned 14 in October of his third year and this wasn’t his first duel… he could handle an embarrassed little.

“It’s okay, Pansy,” Tommen said gently. “We can go into a private changing room and get you fixed right up. Follow me.”

The boy wasn’t surprised when Pansy didn’t follow him, not feeling completely comfortable with picking the small girl up, but knowing they didn’t have much time left of what Professor Black had coined their ‘opening exchange and nappy change’ time. 

It gave the younger caregivers the chance to put their skills to work by helping various-aged littles with either using the toilet or changing a nappy, while getting the littles more comfortable with being assisted. They all engaged in a private conversation with Professor Black before taking the class to discuss any reservations with the process, though every caregiver and little ultimately came to the decision that they were comfortable with the class’ opening routine. It was only once a week, after all, and littles could go to a specific caregiver for help.

“I can carry you, it’ll only take a moment,” the young pureblood said, shocked at the way the girl jumped away from his gentle touch and shrieked bloody murder.

“No! No want,” she screamed, the terror of the sound making his heart stop for a moment.

“I’m sorry, I just… I’m sorry!” he replied, unable to not be panicked as he took a few steps back from the girl who’d collapsed onto the ground, hands thrown up protectively over her head.

“What’s going on?” Professor Black asked, making his way through the caregivers who hadn’t paired up with a little due to uneven numbers. “What the- Pansy?”

The girl didn’t look up as she sobbed, body wracked with full body tremors at the shock that’d come from the events of the past few minutes.

The man made the executive decision to pick the girl up, stomach sinking at the wail she let out, arms flailing in the air.

“It’s me, love, it’s Sirius,” the man cooed, aware of the wide-eyed stares of his students. He needed to get her out of there before littles started returning, well aware of how one of their moods impacted all of their moods. “Miss Abbott, please lead class in my absence.”

“Yes sir,” the Hufflepuff prefect replied confidently, fully aware that this was one of the reasons these classes had a seventh year student assistant each week. Littles were unpredictable, and they always needed a backup adult in case Professor Black was taken away. Today, though, her heart ached for her small housemate.

Sirius was grateful for classes being in session, as he was sure that the news of a screaming student trying to buck out of his arms as he raced from the classroom to the littles dorm.

Ulysses Runcorn dropped his book as Sirius rushed into the room, eyes wide as he watched his professor head back into the dorms with a screaming little he didn’t recognize. Morning shifts in the little dorms were easy; only students who needed to be changed, wanted a snack, or had a free period came in. But this? The seventh year Ravenclaw had never seen anything like it and hoped the man would come back soon to give him more information. Until then, he turned back to his DADA text.

Down the hall, Sirius was doing his best to calm down Pansy before realizing that wasn’t going to happen, not when the girl kept calling out Harry’s name.

“Wemlo, apparate Harry Potter here immediately,” Sirius ordered, knowing the elf he’d brought to the school with him would do just that.

“What- Pansy?” Harry asked, disoriented as he touched down in the room with the small elf, but primarily concerned at the screaming cries of the girl who was still pulling away from Sirius.

“Harry!” she moaned. Sirius was certain that she would have flown out of his arms at the way she pushed her body towards Harry if he were less strong and she were any bigger than a seven-year-old.

Harry had no qualms about getting in his godfather’s space as he pulled Pansy into his arms, cooing like he’d soothed her a million times before as he held her close and rocked her like a tiny little newborn. Sirius knew, as a father, that Harry needed that closeness as much as Pansy did.

Sirius moved silently to sit in the corner of the room, an outside observer as Harry whispered to the clearly traumatized girl. The man, both a professor of classifications and a father and caregiver in his own right, could tell that Harry had the ability to calm Pansy down with every word he spoke.

The older man was hoping for Pansy to fall asleep, but she stubbornly wouldn’t close her eyes even though he could see them becoming heavier.

“Can I change you?” Harry asked quietly, drawing another sob. “We can get you in your new pyjamas too, love, and we can go cuddle on the couch. Okay?”

“You change?” she confirmed, eyes heartbreakingly wide and fearful.

“Only me,” Harry confirmed. “Uncle Sirius will be here, but not looking.”

“Okay,” Pansy stammered after a second, breathing picking up at the mere thought of what had occurred earlier. The way they’d just not told her what was happening and expected her to be okay with it.

True to his word, Harry was the only one who touched her. He’d never felt more out of sorts, but knew he needed to treat the girl as delicately as he could. Once she was clean, he put the trembling girl into a thicker, plusher diaper than the ones that Hogwarts provided, courtesy of Draco overnighting them once they’d found out Pansy’s size last night. With more care than he could remember using on anything, he removed her uniform and dressed her into a long sleeve purple nightie.

“Let’s grab Taco and lovey, they told me they missed you,” Harry narrated, picking up a newly cozy Pansy before leaning into the girl’s crib and grabbing her favourite items.

Sirius headed out of the room at this, pleased to see that Runcorn was still alone in the common room.

“Runcorn, my boy, do you mind reading in the study room? I’ll send anyone who needs you in there,” Sirius asked.

“Of course, sir. Do you need anything?” the younger caregiver asked/

“I’m all set, thank you.”

Harry came out with Pansy only a moment later, laying down on his favourite couch with the girl curled up on his chest. Sirius noticed that she had a pacifier held in her mouth, something he hadn’t seen the girl use before. Not that he’d seen her in her headspace outside of last night, which… was she even in her headspace last night? Did they have any true inkling of who this little was? Why had she even been in his class today without his approval?

Before an anxious Sirius could even speak up, Harry asked exactly what was on his mind.

“Darling, I need to know if you’re okay…”

Pansy shook her head, eyes filling up with tears again.

“No tears, baby, no tears… you’re safe. We can only help you if we know why you were so upset.”

Pansy felt compelled to speak, especially when Harry was being so nice to her. What if he made her go back with the boy he didn’t know? What if he left because she wouldn’t answer his questions?

She popped her pacifier out of her mouth.

“Um, the um, class… scary.”

“What class did she have?” Harry asked Sirius.

The professor swallowed a sigh.

“She was in my lower-year practical, but I didn’t notice until she became upset.”

Harry tried not to tense up as Pansy was only now relaxing on his chest.

“She wasn’t supposed to be in that.”

“Pansy, dear, how’d you get to class?” Sirius asked.

“Ginny.”

The man let out a low groan.

Pansy spoke again, feeling like her emotions were far too big for her body. They needed to go somewhere!

“She left me with the boy who… who tried to pick me up!” she shouted in a wobbly voice. “He said he was gonna change my n-...”

The girl cut herself off, taking deep, shuddering breaths. She didn’t need to finish her sentence for them to know what had happened.

“Thank you for sharing, Pansy. I’m very sorry that you felt so scared, especially in my class. I’m going to try and figure out what happened, but you weren’t supposed to be in my class,” Sirius said honestly, wanting the girl, however little, to know that she wasn’t supposed to be hurt or scared. How had they fucked up so much with one little?

“Ginny said…”

“Sometimes caregivers get it wrong,” Sirius answered gently. “No one is perfect… no matter who they are.”

“Didn’t like it,” Pansy replied. “Don’t want to go.”

Sirius was noncommittal, but honestly couldn’t imagine putting the girl back in a class that’d caused her so much trauma in the first five minutes of attending.

“Let’s focus on right now,” Harry suggested. “I’m pretty sleepy, would you nap with me?”

“Class?” Pansy asked. Harry had been pulled from the second half of double potions, and had certainly left behind an anxious Draco.

“Let’s just sleep for now and worry about classes later.”

Pansy sighed and sunk bonelessly into Harry, shoving her pacifier into her mouth and closing her eyes. Being scared really had made her tired… she could sleep. So she did.

xxxxxxxxx

When he was certain Pansy was asleep, Harry sat up and moved to take her into her crib. He knew that he or Draco would need to be there when she woke up, but he was also extremely concerned about what the hell had happened.

“What boy is she talking about?” Harry asked quietly, stepping out into the hallway. Eloise Midgen, a fifth year little, had wandered into the dorm hoping for companionship during a free period. Runcorn was excited to have something to do and had brought the girl into a play room near the back of the dorm, respecting his professor’s need for privacy.

“I need to make sure first… I need to do it by the books. You stay here, I’ll handle everything and be back.”

“Classes?” Harry asked, knowing that as head boy he was expected to never miss without an excuse.

Sirius snorted, waving a hand. “Who gives a shit, son. I’ll handle it after I talk to the headmaster, no one’s going to track you down.”

Harry rolled his eyes before heading back into Pansy’s room and sitting in the rocking chair.

He could tell class had ended and lunch was starting when a frantic Draco quickly made his way into the room. For a guy who insisted that Malfoys never ran, he looked pretty close to running.

Draco waved his wand quickly before speaking up at a normal level.

“What the hell happened? Why is Pansy in here?”

The blond was peering over the edge of Pansy’s crib, almost as though he couldn’t believe that she was alive and safe.

“I honestly don’t know,” Harry replied, knowing full well that Draco would’ve gotten the answers in his first conversation with Pansy and Sirius. The man was far more perceptive than he was.

“You don’t know?” Draco asked, getting frustrated with Harry even though he knew the Gryffindor wasn’t at fault for whatever happened.

“I don’t know, Draco. I’m just going to ask that you watch your tone with me, I did nothing wrong,” Harry replied, knowing exactly how to calm his intense partner down. “An elf came to get me from class, and when I was apparated here, Pansy was beside herself. The only thing I know is that she was mistakenly brought to the LLP by Ginny this morning, and someone tried to carry her to a changing room during the start of class.”

Draco groaned, clearly stopping himself from picking Pansy up and holding her tightly. “Where is Sirius now?”

“He said he was going to see the headmaster a while ago and that he’d come back.”

“It’s a bloody miracle we don’t have class this afternoon,” Draco said, plopping himself down on Harry’s lap with more force than was necessary. The Gryffindor thought he’d have bruises from Draco’s bony arse.

Harry couldn’t help but press an affectionate kiss on Draco’s thin cheek before wrapping his arms around the man’s skinny stomach.

“Love you. We’ll be fine… I was just hoping a little less drama was involved.”

“Feels like a bloody movie, honestly,” Draco muttered, not shying away from Harry’s ministrations. “It’s literally day one, class two. Couldn’t we have waited a while before things went wrong?”

Harry rocked back and forth, though the move made neither Harry or Draco feel tired.

The blond stood up as the sound of Pansy’s low whine sounded, a surefire sign that the girl was waking up.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Draco crooned, leaning over the crib.

“Dwaco?” the girl asked, pacifier obscuring her mouth.

“I’m here, Harry is too,” Draco consoled. “Let’s have a cuddle.”

The man picked her up, wanting to cuddle her, but also to subtly check the girl’s diaper which was still dry. 

“Squish Harry,” Pansy mumbled behind her pacifier as Draco sat down on top of the man again, though there was barely any added weight. Pansy was far too thin, and Harry was envisioning the girl with a cute, pudgy tummy he could blow raspberries on. One day.

“Lovey and Taco and Pansy and Draco… ouch! My poor legs,” Harry exclaimed dramatically, drawing a peal of giggles from Pansy that both men wished wasn’t concealed by her pacifier.

The sound of a grumbling tummy interrupted the silence of the room.

“Let’s get you something to eat, sweetheart,” Draco said, standing up.

“No!” Pansy said, her pacifier falling out of her mouth towards the floor with the force of her objection. “Not go.”

“We don’t need to leave,” Draco soothed, rocking Pansy in his arms. “Harry, love, will you get Pansy a bottle?”

“Be right back,” Harry promised, heading towards the kitchen that was at the back of the little dorms.

“We’ve got you, Pansy… you don’t need to be worried. We’ll take care of you.”

The girl nuzzled into the man’s shoulder in lieu of a reply, not even grumbling when he walked out to the common room which was blissfully silent. Draco knew that lunch and dinner were the only time the room wasn’t staffed, but there would always be an elf present who could pop down and grab a caregiver or professor if a little showed up in need of something during meals.

“Here we are,” Harry crooned, holding a bottle full of warm milk with two drops of Professor Snape’s protein potion in order to ensure her little tummy got full.

Harry rolled his eyes as Draco took the bottle, not even considering allowing his partner who’d prepared the bottle and spent the past two hours caring for Pansy to feed her.

Draco reveled in the way Pansy felt in his arms as she relied on him to feed her, keeping her hands busy with self-soothing by rubbing lovey and Taco. Instead of disgust, he felt awe as the girl wet her diaper as she drank, the material growing heavy on his thighs. 

“I’ll burp her,” Harry said quietly, holding slightly impatient hands out as Pansy finished the bottle. He’d clearly been prepared, throwing a towel over his shoulder before picking up the girl. “There we go… oh! Good girl, what a good girl!”

Pansy was surprised at the sound and liquid that’d come out as Harry gently patted her back. She could only feel loved at the way he held her away from his body in order to clean her face with a soft cloth he’d thrown over his shoulder. How did he know that he’d need it? Were daddies, er, caregivers, magical? They must be.

“Let’s get you into a clean diaper, darling, then we can spend some time colouring,” Draco said, heading towards her nursery and knowing the pair would follow. He knew that some littles’ stomachs had an adverse reaction to the protein potion, so he picked out another thick night time nappy for Pansy. It was better safe than sorry, and he couldn’t help but think she looked adorable in the pretty, light pink diaper.

“So pretty in your new diaper,” Harry crooned with a smile, scritching the girl’s scalp as Draco changed her.

“I see,” Pansy said quietly, blushing all the while.

Harry held up one of the diapers that he’d grabbed from a wicker basket under her changing table.

“Pretty… soft,” Pansy murmured.

“Draco picked them out special for you… you can choose some patterns if you’d like,” Harry said, wanting Pansy to know that she had a choice in some aspects of her life, despite what it likely felt like.

The girl only shrugged, happy when Draco had finished murmuring a spell she didn’t recognize to himself as he cleaned up and put her back in his arms.

The trio had been colouring at a softly padded table in the corner of the common room for a while before Sirius and the headmaster both walked in.

Harry and Draco were well aware that the headmaster, a neutral, was known for staying out of matters of classification as often as he could. He was, of course, an important advocate when it came to dealing with the Ministry and St. Mungo’s, but for the most part, Sirius and the caregivers of Hogwarts could handle anything that came up themselves. That’s why they were so shocked to see him. Had what happened to Pansy been that bad?

“Hello,” the man greeted with twinkling eyes, his silky silver robes drawing Pansy’s interest.

“Good afternoon, headmaster,” Harry respectfully said, nodding at the man.

“Would you have time for a talk with an old man?”

“Of course,” Draco replied. “Pansy, we can finish colouring later, okay?”

The girl let out a whine, turning to look at Draco with a pout. “Almost done.”

“We can finish later,” Draco repeated, shutting the colouring books and spelling all of the crayons back into the box before picking Pansy up and trekking her over to the quiet room where Sirius led Dumbledore. The blond pressed a soft kiss to Pansy’s temple at her acquiescence. “Good girl.”

Pansy’s tummy was light and warm at those words; why did two words make her feel like she was floating?

“How are you today, Pansy?” the headmaster asked. Pansy thought he looked nice, but also hadn’t really talked to him, which she figured was normal. How would the man have time to talk to everyone?

“Good,” Pansy replied, not feeling much up to long replies. She didn’t think it was appropriate, but wished that she was on Harry’s lap instead of just sitting next to him on the soft couch. Maybe he would talk for her and figure out what the headmaster wanted. She’d had a long day, okay? This was just adding on more than she wanted to deal with. And to think it was only day one back at school…

“I’m so sorry to resurface fears, my dear, but I hear you had a bit of a scare in class this morning. Would you mind telling me what happened? I promise this will be the last time that you have to talk about it.”

Pansy let out a frustrated whine at that, unable to help herself. It was a weird moment; she realized deep down that the man was important, he was the school’s headmaster! But her mind didn’t care… he was just another person trying to make her do something she didn’t want to.

Draco and Harry shared a knowing look over her head; Pansy had to speak for herself during this conversation, especially if there was a question of getting aurors involved. As much as they wanted to coddle her and take her out of the room from anyone who dared to upset her, that wasn’t their role right now.

“Ginny took me to a class I’d never been to and… I didn’t know anyone… and she left! Then a boy asked if I was wet and tried to pick me up and I was scared!” Pansy spat out, voice shaky as she gave a quick recount of what had occurred.

“Sounds like quite a frightening event, my dear. Let’s talk more about this boy… was his name Tommen Nott?”

“I think,” she said in a small voice.

“Was he tall with brown hair and dark blue eyes?” Sirius asked, receiving a nod.

“Take a few moments to think about it if you need, but when he tried to pick you up, was Mr. Nott nice? Did he ask to pick you up and take you to a changing room?” Dumbledore asked. 

Draco wanted to groan. The man wasn’t known for an outstanding ability at talking to littles, and this conversation confirmed that. He kept his eyes at Pansy’s face, unsure if she truly understood what the man was asking.

Ensuring that there was no malice involved was extremely important; knowing Theo’s little brother as well as he did, Draco was certain that the boy was mortified and beating himself up over what seemed to be a huge misunderstanding. Or, honestly, a mistake on Ginny’s behalf. Why didn’t she check Hermione’s schedule instead of assuming the girl had been placed in the practical?

“He smiled and had a nice voice… I don’t know,” Pansy shrugged.

“That’s okay, darling,” Sirius soothed, smiling softly at the little girl. “We just want to make sure Mr. Nott didn’t hurt you.”

“No! I was scared because I didn’t know… I didn’t want anyone to touch me.”

“Of course,” Dumbledore replied with a nod. “Thank you for being so helpful, Pansy.”

“I’ll be back in a bit,” Sirius replied.

Pansy just looked down at Taco, rubbing his belly softly as Harry and Draco said goodbye.

“There we are… now, do you want to go into your room or stay out here? Some littles will be heading here for their naps shortly,” Harry asked, taking one of Pansy’s hand into his own without a second thought.

“Naps?” she asked.

“Oh yeah,” Harry replied with a small smile. “About half of our littles are young enough to take naps and spend a couple hours sleeping in the common room. Most seventh years have a free period after lunch, so there will always be a few caregivers up here.”

“I nap?” Pansy asked, pointing to herself.

“You will,” Draco confirmed. “I’m sure you’re feeling sleepy, even though you napped this morning.”

Pansy nodded; she was sleepy. “I sleep here or in my room?”

“Hmm… it’s up to you, sweetheart. Why don’t we introduce you to a few new friends and see what you want to do?”

Blaise walked in a few moments later, giving a long glance towards the trio as though he was going to say anything. Instead, he used his wand to start floating soft padded mats out to the center of the room in a lazy confidence that made it clear this wasn’t his first rodeo.

She was very tired all of a sudden, like Draco mentioning it just flicked the switch on her being away. “I stay… you stay?”

Draco smiled at the girl’s primitive speech, as though the day had sapped her of all of her alertness. He wouldn’t be surprised if it did.

“We’ll be here with you all day, princess,” Draco promised.

“Good,” Pansy sighed, leaning bonelessly into the man’s side while closing her eyes. All she needed was just a moment of quiet comfort from the large men on either side of her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All I want to write as I watch the election results roll in is fluff. So here's another super long chapter.
> 
> Please comment! I would love to know what you're thinking and if there's anything that you'd like to see. I think I'll wrap up this main branch of the story in a few chapters, but have various outtakes in the same verse.

Pansy looked down and blushed at the coos of those in front of her, but she was pleased by the adult attention and approval she’d always desired.

“I see?” she asked after the soft comments had died down.

“Of course, princess,” Lucius said, being careful of the girl’s dress as he picked her up and stood her on the bathroom countertop to see herself in the mirror.

She let out a gasp at the girl she saw in front of her; maybe she really was a princess! She was wearing a pale purple dress with tulle flowers all over the poofy bottom, though the material touching her skin was soft enough that she didn’t feel itchy at all. Her shoes were super glittery and matched her dress; the very same shoes that she’d picked out with her nana on a weekend trip back when she was still in first year.

“Such beautiful hair,” Lily crooned. “It looks lovely Narcissa, you’re so talented.”

The woman in question grinned and waved a hand, though her husband could tell she was smug over it. Not all pureblooded wives had such talent, after all.

Pansy’s now upper-back length hair was braided to perfection in a low bun with peaches and cream roses interspersed throughout the updo. She looked like a princess, and the parents knew that their sons would likely be just as choked up at Pansy walking down the aisle as each other.

“We need to do our final check with the wedding planner. Luc, James, if anything gets on her dress it’s your heads.”

“Yes ma’am,” James replied to Narcissa, always amused at how the woman put on a high, happy tone to threaten them. More surprising was how it worked; Pansy was never scared. Like most toddlers, she tuned out unless her name was part of the sentence, especially if there wasn’t a sharp tone involved.

“Let’s have some fun,” Lucius said with a smile, reaching for the little in front of him with careful hands. His wife was the last person on earth he wanted to upset, especially today. He would never say it to her face, but the wedding had her more tightly wound than he’d ever seen before. The last place he wanted to be was in her crosshairs.

“Colour?” Pansy asked as he settled her into his arms.

“What a fine idea, pumpkin,” James exclaimed, leading the trio down the hall to Pansy’s playroom at Malfoy Manor. The girl had been delighted and surprised to see that both Harry and Draco’s parents had set up rooms for her at their manors. Harry and Draco, however, had hid their exasperation until Pansy was asleep later that night in her new, custom-carved crib in the Potter’s home. Even today, as they were getting married, Pansy wasn’t officially theirs. 

Minister Riddle had, however, promised that once the pair was married that they would be on a fast track to receiving custody of her. Until then, though, she was pleased to be staying with Marcus and Katie again. The pair, with their work schedules and general fondness of the Malfoys and Potters, dropped Pansy off to spend time with the other families quite often. It was a balance that worked for all of them, though they knew Pansy would likely be shocked when Draco and Harry had official custody of her. They tried to explain it to the girl, but she didn’t seem to fully grasp the permanence of adoption.

“What are we thinking? Colouring books or construction paper?” James asked, making himself at home at the padded table used for arts and crafts in the corner of Pansy’s playroom.

The girl tapped her finger against her lip in a way that made both men want to gobble her up, as though a decision about colouring was one of the toughest she’d ever make.

“Paper!” Pansy exclaimed. “Pink, please.”

“Such nice manners,” James cooed, grabbing a stack of paper and a few sets of crayons. The Malfoys had stuffed the girl’s playroom to the gills with everything a toddler could ever want, but James and Lily had one-upped them with the creation of a playground inside their house that had tunnels and nets and slides just like Chuck E. Cheese’s. Not that anyone other than the Potters knew what that was; they’d have to wait for Pansy to take her Resizing Remedy, but then they’d take her to America just so she could visit all of the kid fun it had to offer, from Chuck E. Cheese to Disney to massive water parks. 

“I draw the wedding,” Pansy explained, taking a green crayon and making little squiggles on the bottom third of the paper that they assumed to be grass. Lucius and James talked quietly as they drew, Lucius detailing the Malfoy’s beach house in the Seychelles while James drew a full blown quidditch match, complete with a cheering Lily and Pansy in the stands.

“Masters, Mistress Narcissa is saying to come,” a tiny light pink elf squeaked as they came into the room. The Potter and Malfoy elves were all in attendance alongside some Hogwarts elves who didn’t want to miss the occasion; they were all decked out in crisp, white tea towels black lace around the edges. 

Lily had only lightly suggested that their elves take the day off and attend before there was a full blown uproar on their hands at the mere thought of not servicing the wedding. One of the elves had raged through tears that things would certainly fall apart if any other unworthy elves helped out. So, Narcissa and Lily put their determined elves to work.

“Hi,” Pansy smiled, waving to the elf. “What’s your name?”

The elf’s eyes bulged open wide, a fantastic smile forming on its face. The Potter and Malfoy elves had all heard about their soon-to-be little mistress’ kindness, but experiencing it was something special. She couldn’t wait to tell her roommates who would certainly be jealous.

“Hi, little miss! Me is being Koko,” the elf replied greeted, bowing lowly.

“Hi Koko! My name is Pansy,” the girl smiled.

“Thank you, Koko, we’ll see you soon,” James cut in. “Let’s get going, girlie!”

James picked Pansy up, swiping a casual finger along the seam of her thigh to confirm that her diaper was wet.

“Let’s make a quick stop, then we’ll head downstairs,” James directed, knowing the Malfoy man would understand.

“Let’s be careful, princess, we don’t want your pretty hair falling out,” Lucius said as James put her down onto her changing table. Pansy whined at the way Lucius was supporting her back and neck, not liking the way she could see James changing her.

“Now, let’s bring out the special wedding nappies!” James announced dramatically.

“Show?” Pansy asked curiously, no longer worried about her nappy change. It wasn’t the first time both men had changed her, so she didn’t care about that. She just didn’t like having to watch, especially when Taco was there and forced to watch too!

James picked up a nappy that was the same colour as her dress, but there were pretty flowers all over it that looked just like the ones in her hair.

“Pretty!” Pansy breathed. “Put on, please.”

James grinned, smacking a kiss on the girl’s cheek. “Of course, pumpkin. You can just pull an adult aside if you need a change, and they will put another pretty nappy on you.”

Pansy let out a whine at that, not that the men expected anything different.

James remembered the joy he felt when Dorea was finally potty trained, thinking he’d never have to change a diaper again. Pansy felt different, though; there was a joy that he felt in having the girl trust him enough, even when they weren’t technically family yet, to help her in such an intimate and vulnerable moment. Dorea had snickered at him endlessly over his treatment of Pansy, but the girl was right… his granddaughter had him completely and utterly wrapped around her finger.

“Let’s go!” James said, picking Pansy up again after cleaning up. The manor was quiet, since Narcissa was adamant that no guests were allowed in the house outside of the wedding party. She’d hired a company to construct large restrooms in a convenient corner of the estate’s sprawling lawns, though not close enough to the reception or ceremony to be seen and spoil any photos. There was also a large family friendly restroom for all of the littles and biological children in attendance, of which there would be many.

“Oh! My darling girl,” Draco murmured, voice echoing in the quiet of the shaded conservatory. He walked over to take Pansy from his soon-to-be father-in-law, willing himself not to tear up at the way she squeezed him tight. “You look so pretty! Just like a princess.”

“Look!” Pansy said, and Draco’s brain froze for a second when she did her best to wriggle her dress up from where it was held against his arm. He shifted her to one arm, and let out all the appropriate noises of awe at her flowery, lilac nappy.

“So pretty, sweetheart. Let’s not show anyone else your nappy, though, okay?” Draco instructed, receiving a serious nod from the girl and hidden laughs from his parents, Lily, James and their entire wedding party.

“It’s not appropriate to show people that aren’t families your body,” Hermione piped up. Draco noticed that seemed to be pretty little despite her likely efforts otherwise. “Ophi got in trouble for showing girls his butt at school!”

Loud, incredulous laughter sounded around the room at that, while Pansy scrunched up her nose.

“Ew! Why?” she asked quietly.

“Boys are silly, you have to remember that. All boys are super, super silly,” Draco promised gravely.

“Not you or Harry,” she confirmed.

“Exactly, every boy but us,” Draco smiled, pressing a soft kiss on the tip of her nose.

“Not sure about that,” Dorea muttered with the shake of her head. 

“Children!” Narcissa exclaimed with the clap of her hands. “It’s time to take your places.”

Draco’s wedding party consisted of Theo and Blaise, while Harry’s was Ron, Dorea and Hermione. They’d decided to keep it small, being honest about who they truly cared enough about standing at their side.

“You ready?” Draco asked Pansy. They’d had a rehearsal last night, and Pansy had thrown a fit when she realized there weren’t flowers for her to throw. Draco and Harry had shared a look at that; how hadn’t they realized the girl would be upset? So one of the elves quickly magicked the petals off a large amount of flowers in Narcissa’s beloved garden - at the very back where no one could tell, of course - so that Pansy could truly rehearse her role.

“Yes! We see Harry?” Pansy asked. The girl had been confused as to why Harry wasn’t walking down the aisle with them. She’d never been to a wedding, so the idea of one spouse waiting at the end of the aisle while everyone else walked down made no sense to her.

“Yes, we’re going to see Harry. We’ll do exactly what we did yesterday, right?” Draco asked.

“We hold hands, we throw flowers, we smile!” Pansy recited.

“Very good! That’s exactly right. Let’s get you all set up.”

Draco was wearing a tie that matched Pansy’s dress with a crisp, jet black suit. They had gone back and forth on what to wear, but decided on muggle attire solely for the fact that it looked way better than formal robes. Lily was overjoyed at that, and knew her parents would be as well when they saw them.

Hermione and Dorea were in silver dresses with light purple belts around their waists. The little’s curls were tamed in a way that only Marlene could manage and strands were pulled back around her crown with a sparkly silver barrette. 

The three groomsmen were in grey suits with a light purple bow tie. Lucius, however, was in a regal set of grey robes with purple silk lining. The man never turned down a chance to dress up. James stuck to the basics, wearing a black muggle suit with purple piping along the edges.

“The band is starting, places everyone!” Narcissa smiled, moving to stand next to Draco with a teary smile. “My sweet boy.... I’m so proud of you.”

“I love you,” Draco smiled, squeezing the woman’s hand instead of kissing or hugging her. The last thing he needed was to ruin the sweet moment by messing up her hair and makeup.

Lucius, Narcissa, Draco and Pansy headed down the aisle after the Potters who’d been preceded by the groomsmen and bridesmaid, and Pansy’s eyes were wide. There were so many people there! She knew she was supposed to throw flowers, but all she wanted to do was go hug Harry and say hi to her Uncle Tom. She knew that the older man was going to read from a book, and Draco had said it was a BIG deal that he was helping them, not that she really understood. Why was Uncle Tom reading from a book so important?

Pansy started throwing the pretty lilac, peach and cream petals that were piled up in her little basket, letting go of Draco’s hand. The blond was caught between worrying about Pansy and looking at his beloved partner at the end of the aisle. 

Draco wasn’t surprised when Harry let out a loud sob, the emotional git. He and everyone else present was surprised when the noise had Pansy throwing her basket in the air and running down the aisle.

“Harry hurt?” she asked, patting the man’s legs from her low vantage point like she could assess the problem.

Harry let out another noise at the sight of the girl, his little girl, THEIR little girl looking so polished and picked her up.

“No, precious. I’m just happy,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple that had everyone who wasn’t already cooing making noise.

“Oh no! The flowers,” Pansy said, realizing she’d not completed her one job amidst her fear for Harry. “I finish?”

The Malfoys had reached them by that point, with Narcissa and Lucius kissing their son before leaving him at the altar. Of course, they’d expected something to go wrong, but Harry was unsure of whether or not they should let Pansy go back and finish tossing petals.

Before Draco and Harry could make a choice, though, the Minister made a decision for him.

“There we go,” Tom said in a commanding, yet soft voice after waving a lazy hand and setting the tossed basket back to rights. “Pansy, your basket is all set up down the aisle if you’d like to finish tossing your flowers.”

“Uncle Tom!” the girl smiled as though she hadn’t seen him. Also, amusingly, as if 400 people weren’t waiting for the wedding to start and watching this family affair with eager and curious eyes. No one could say that they weren’t intrigued by how the Potter and Malfoy heirs had taken the poor Parkinson girl under their wing, and now they got to watch it all play out for free. The theatre could never compare to this show.

“Hello, my dear. Why don’t you go toss your flowers then come back here,” the man suggested firmly. Harry placed Pansy down, and before he could ask if she wanted help, she skipped back down to the aisle where a mostly full basket of flowers sat. The girl was more focused on doing the super important task that Harry and Draco had asked only her to do than the people who were looking at her and cooing. 

She didn’t even notice flashes of pre-approved cameras going off either, especially not when she’d run out of flowers and Draco and Harry had hugged her tightly.

Her Lucie came to take her to sit down after that, holding the girl on his lap like he’d promised. The move was both to ensure Pansy was comfortable and that she didn’t get bored and run off. Sirius, Remus and Marlene were sat closest to the aisle on Harry’s side for the very same reason. Hermione might have been a little older than Pansy in her headspace, but her brain moved so quickly that they knew she might get tired and bored of standing up and try to wander away.

That was one of the reasons they were keeping their ceremony short; that and they had no desire to show everyone how in love they were, not when everyone who mattered already knew.

Pansy zoned out while her Uncle Tom was talking, instead focusing on fixing the tiny suit that an elf had made for Taco. Next thing she knew, red sparks were flying up in the air where Draco and Harry had clasped hands, catching her attention immediately.

“It is my honour to declare you eternal partners with the blessing of Magic. You may now kiss your husband!” the Minister said regally, with all of the oomf of someone who’d practiced their speech many times. Severus would take it to his grave, but his husband did indeed practice it many times.

Pansy smiled brilliantly as they kissed, loving the way that her beloved Lucie put his hands over hers and clapped them together.

Before making the traditional walk back up the aisle, Draco leaned over to pick Pansy up and hold her to his hip.

“We’re married!” Pansy exclaimed, so happy to know that everyone was thrilled. She didn’t necessarily understand marriage, even after Harry and Draco had explained. Why would you need to throw a silly ceremony when you were already together?

“We are, my brilliant girl,” Draco replied.

“Our brilliant girl,” Harry corrected, peeking a smiling face around Draco’s shoulder.

“Now what?” Pansy asked, forgetting what happened next. Was it the part where Harry and Draco went away and she had a sleepover with all of her friends?

“Now, we take some photos. Then we’ll eat and dance,” Draco explained.

Pansy did not like photos. Especially when the mean man with the camera asked Harry and Draco to put her down and tried to take Taco from her. Her impending meltdown was only stopped by the appearance of her Uncle Tom; the man had always been a regular occurrence around Malfoy Manor, and Pansy absolutely adored him. Especially when she discovered that his sons, her cousins, were so fun. Rabby, Uncle Tom and Uncle Sev’s elder son, was a bit rambunctious for her, but she loved Reggie. The boy liked to remind her that he was bigger than her, but she didn’t mind. He read books to her, liked to colour, and even helped her pick flowers. He was her most favourite friend.

The girl was so caught up in her conversation about food with Reggie that she missed the back and forth argument over who would take her upstairs to change her. They didn’t want to subject Pansy to potentially seeing someone she knew in the littles changing room, part of why Narcissa had put a strict no-entry rule on the manor. In a surprise to everyone, former Minister Abraxas Malfoy won the argument.

“Pansy, come see grandpere,” the man crooned. Pansy held her arms up towards him; the man gave her lots of presents and candy and told her it was their special secret. She’d messed up a few times and accidentally told Draco and Harry that she’d had candy, but they told her grandpere wouldn’t get in trouble.

“Good granpapa hugs,” Pansy cooed, nuzzling her face into the man’s neck. She loved him! He was Draco’s grandpa, so he was her double grandpa. She didn’t really understand, but she loved him and her grandmere so much. Pansy felt special to have so many people who loved giving her hugs and kisses; it was a bit scary at times, but she always tried to be brave so that they wouldn’t stop being nice to her.

“Mon chérie,” the man said, smiling like the cat that got the canary as he walked the girl inside. Whether he was unaware or didn’t care, his son, grandson and wife cursed him as he walked inside with a precious bundle on his hip. 

He was truly never going to get over the way that he assumed he could do whatever he wanted, and his family would never not be annoyed by it.

“You saw my flowers?” Pansy asked, unaware of the way Abraxas ignored countless important, influential individuals who wanted to have a conversation with the former Minister of Magic. He’d had enough sycophantic cronies for a lifetime, and his sweet, darling great granddaughter was all he cared about.

“Oh, yes I did! What a beautiful display, darling. You did a fantastic job.”

“Thank you,” Pansy giggled. “Where are we going?”

He was certain that they were alone inside with only elves for company, but Abraxas still took a cursory look around.

“We’ll get you into a new nappy, then we’ll go eat dinner.”

“Have to find the pretty nappy,” Pansy insisted.

“Absolutely, princess, your daddy told me where they were.”

“Daddy?” Pansy asked quietly, stomach sinking a bit.

“I’m sorry, darling, I got mixed up. Draco,” Abraxas replied, cursing himself for his very rare mess up.

Pansy sighed. Though she felt little most of the time, especially now that it was summer and she didn’t have to go to classes, she still wasn’t dumb. She knew that Draco and Harry weren’t her daddies, but she’d love it if they were. They always told her that she could talk to them about anything, but this was the one thing she felt she had to keep to herself. And boy was it hard to do that! 

Abraxas couldn’t handle the girl’s long face, and saw a chance to push things along. What could he say? He was a Slytherin to the core.

“Why so sad, princess?” the man asked, taking care to place a fluffy pillow under Pansy’s neck as he laid her on the changing table, but ensuring her hair wasn’t smushed and ruined. He’d been married to a beautiful woman for over 40 years; this wasn’t his first rodeo.

“Not my daddies…” Pansy murmured, putting her thumb into her mouth while using her other hand to stroke Taco.

“Oh, but they are in every way that counts,” Abraxas replied confidently as he ripped open the wet diaper. 

Pansy made a questioning noise in reply.

“Harry and Draco do everything that daddies would do for you, sweet girl. Why don’t you call them daddy and see how they reply? I bet even Draco will cry.”

Pansy let out a giggle at that. Would he really cry?

“You’ve got to try it to see, then report back to your grandpere.”

“Nervous.”

“They love you, my girl. We all do… you are our precious darling, the heart of our family.”

Pansy smiled around her thumb at that; she loved her grandpapa.

“There we are, come get grandpere if you need another change, okay?”

“Love you,” Pansy replied, squeezing the man as he placed her back into his arms.

“I love you even more than you could ever know, my doll. Now let’s go eat and make my grandson cry, okay?”

“Yes,” Pansy giggled again.

Once again, Abraxas waved off those vying for his attention, caring more about his little girl and grandsons than whatever asinine conversation they’d like to engage him in.

Harry and Draco were already sitting at the head table when they made it into the spacious reception hall that Narcissa had put together under a beautiful white canopy. Abraxas walked right over, ignoring even more people. How desperate could they be?

“Hi love,” Harry smiled, both him and Draco standing up as the duo drew closer. “Do you want to sit with us or our family?”

Pansy didn’t even have to think about it as she reached her hands out for the black-haired man. “You and papa.”

“What?” Draco choked, reaching a hand out towards Pansy.

The girl turned red as she smiled shyly, turning her face into Harry’s neck. “My daddy and papa.”

“Precious,” Harry whispered, running a reverent thumb over Pansy’s baby soft cheek. “We love you so much.”

“Told you, princess,” Abraxas said with a smile, looking far too pleased with himself.

Draco squinted his eyes at his grandfather, but couldn’t be too mad when this was the result of his relentless meddling.

“Your grandmother and I have bought you a summer home on the California coast, but I’ll assume you like this gift more,” Abraxas said casually before sauntering away.

“Can papa have a hug?” Draco asked gently, feeling like he was walking a tightrope. The man cooed as Pansy reached out towards him, giving her the warmest hug he could. “We love you so so much… so much.”

“Love you,” Pansy whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she sniffled.

Draco sat down with Pansy held tightly in his arms.

“Time to eat,” Harry said with a smile, scooting his chair closer to Draco’s.

“Not yet,” Draco sang. “What do we need to do first?”

“Let Taco watch,” Pansy recited dutifully, leaning over to put the stuffed dragon on the table. 

“Good girl,” Draco praised.

A nearby elf floated three plates over to the group; the men had fought Narcissa, who was hellbent on serving a seven course meal. There were too many littles present for that to be a good idea, including their own who they desperately wanted to enjoy the night.

Instead, they’d gotten her down to three courses; soup, salad, and main course. They’d have cake later, as was traditional. That was as far as she’d bend on proper meal service for a wedding that her name was attached to.

Thankfully, little-friendly wedding menus were now pretty standardized, leaving them without questions on what to serve. That was why Pansy and all of the other littles had fresh fruit cups with yogurt dip instead of soup, unless caregivers had specifically asked for the adult meal for their little ones. 

Harry and Draco felt comfortable enough to eat their cold watermelon soup while Pansy pecked at her bowl of strawberries. Both men rolled their eyes; they hadn’t asked for just strawberries, knowing the bowl was supposed to have a medley of fruits, but knew their elves wouldn’t do anything that led to their girl having a bad day. She certainly loved her strawberries.

“Why are we alone?” Pansy asked, brow furrowed as she looked out at everyone else sitting at much bigger tables. She saw her nana and Lucie with her Uncles Tom and Sev, Rab, Reggie and her grandpapa and grandmere. Her grammy and grampy were with Hermione’s family and grammy’s parents. Why did no one want to sit with them?

“That’s a good question,” Harry praised. “At weddings, the people getting married always sit alone. It’s mostly so that people can come and talk to us privately, but we’ll be alone while we eat.”

The men were amused by the way Pansy scrunched up her face. “That’s silly.”

“A bit silly,” Draco agreed. “Would you like to sit with someone else?”

“No!” Pansy yelped. “Daddy and papa and Pansy.”

“Yes,” Harry sighed, loving the way that sounded. “Eat some more strawberries, please.”

Pansy nodded dutifully before picking up another strawberry and popping it into her mouth.   
Draco and Harry whispered behind her as they observed their guests, sharing comments on the beaded, sunshine yellow monstrosity Luna’s father was wearing and the fact that Ron was already hitting on one of Draco’s distant French cousins over at her table.

A light chime sounded throughout the room before the first course disappeared. The same elf from before floated two salad plates and a small bowl over.

“What is it?” Pansy asked, looking down cautiously at the bowl in front of her.

“It’s macaroni and cheese, precious,” Harry replied.

“Doesn’t look good,” Pansy whined, shaking her head.

“Dobby,” Draco called quietly.

“Master Draco! Dobby is so honoured…”

“Dobby, can you get Pansy some macaroni and cheese without breadcrumbs?” Draco asked, cutting the elf off.

The elf was out and back in a moment, floating an Italian breadcrumb free bowl of macaroni and cheese over. Harry hid a smile at Draco’s disdain for their daughter’s childish taste; what did he expect, after all?

“Yum! Cheesy pasta,” Pansy exclaimed as though it wasn’t the exact same food before, only covered with crumbs of bread. Kids, man. “Where’s yours?”

“We have salad,” Draco explained.

“What is it?” Pansy asked, looking close and squinting at his plate as though she could figure it out.

“Fennel and apple with caramelised almonds,” he said, knowing exactly what the reply would be.

A cutely scrunched up nose and squeaked, “Yuck!”

“That’s why you have macaroni,” Harry reminded. “Yum! Want to try some?”

“No,” Pansy shook her head. “Nuts make my face go big.”

The adults shared a look. “Are you allergic to nuts, sweetheart?”

Pansy shrugged. “What’s allergic?”

The girl stumbled over the word, looking up at Draco with a confused expression.

“Nothing, sweetpea. No salad for you,” Harry mandated, not even going to make fun of Draco for the way he pushed his salad away after only two bites. The man made a mental note to get Pansy in for an allergy test as soon as they were back from their honeymoon. He knew Katie could perform it while they were gone, but him and Draco wanted to be there to care for Pansy during and after the test.

“Pasta, papa?” Pansy asked, holding her rubber fork up with a piece of precariously hanging macaroni hanging over her very pretty, very expensive dress.

Draco took one for the team and scooped his head down to take it into his mouth. He was sure it tasted good to littles, but the combination of cheese and pasta was just… not what he needed. Maybe the elves were onto something with the addition of breadcrumbs.

“Yum, thank you! That’s all I need, let’s get the rest in your belly,” Draco suggested, gently taking the utensil from Pansy to ensure the food got into her mouth and not on her dress. He was certain that his mother had cast a spell to keep the dress clean, but he would rather not test it.

“Let’s have some water too,” Harry added in a quiet moment, glad when Draco didn’t protest the request and just held Pansy’s sippy cup up to her mouth.

“No juice?” she asked with a puppy dog pout.

“No juice for dinner,” Draco replied, knowing the girl already knew that rule.

“Sad,” she replied. “Reggie and Rabby can have juice all the time!”

“All families have different rules,” Draco replied in explanation.

Pansy looked up at him with a small smile. “You’re my family?”

“Absolutely,” Draco replied, an emotional rasp in his voice. “We’re family.”

Pansy let out a happy sigh, leaning bonelessly back into the man. The pair had taken a bet on when Pansy would fall asleep, with Draco guessing right after the first dance and Harry guessing that she’d throw a tantrum after being tossed around once dancing began. At this point, their predictions were looking right; Pansy would not be staying up to see them off to their honeymoon portkey. Truthfully, they knew that Pansy falling asleep early would make it easier. They just knew they’d need to get a dance in before she went off to dreamland, and ensure that there was a slice of cake left for her.

A few minutes later, a third chime went off.

“What food?” Pansy asked curiously as their plates disappeared.

“Daddy and I will have a leg of lamb with some couscous and vegetables.”

“No,” Pansy shook her head. She did not want to eat that!

Draco continued as though she hadn’t spoken, “And Pansy will have some roast chicken, hashbrowns, and pureed carrots.”

“My favourite!” the girl exclaimed.

The men met eyes before rolling them; the other littles had roast chicken breast, mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley, but knew their girl well enough to ensure she had a separate meal. It was their special day, after all, and their elves would never turn down a request to better the life of their perfect, special little miss.

“Exactly,” Harry smiled, indulgently cutting up the girl’s food while disregarding his own.

“Would you like to try some lamb?” Draco asked.

“No thank you,” Pansy replied, shaking her head rapidly.

“Nice manners,” Draco praised. The man alternated feeding himself and Pansy, not trusting the girl to scoop food into her own mouth.

“Here we go,” Harry murmured.

“My boys! Congratulations,” Horace Slughorn said as he made his way towards the head table, clearly having been watching them and waiting to be the first to wish them well.

“Thank you, Professor,” Harry nodded.

“And Miss Parkinson! What a lucky girl you are…” Draco hid a snort at the man’s longing look, as though he wished to be their little. What a weird guy.

Pansy just held her mouth open for her next bite of pureed carrots, not entertaining her weird professor when food was waiting. She’d told Uncle Sev that she would rather be in his class, and the man told her she needed to be patient. Four years was a long time to wait, though! 

Draco was impressed at how quickly Harry ended the conversation, but groaned at the building line in front of their table. It was like everyone had been waiting for them to finish eating in order to congratulate them and ask questions that they clearly thought were casual, but were instead extremely nosy. 

Especially the adults who had only heard whispers about their relationship with the mysterious Parkinson girl. The intrigue had of course only increased when word spread that she was a little.

Most conversations were easy to end, but there were those who didn’t seem to understand the need to move along, like the awful ministry crony, Dolores Umbridge.

Harry’s eyes continued to dart behind the short, squat woman as she talked, asking pointed questions about the graduated duo’s plans now that they were graduating. He was hoping someone would come give them an out, trying to make eye contact with anyone he knew who had the clout to do so.

“Hm… I was quite shocked to hear you were contemplating adopting a little when you both have such great ambitions,” the woman said, eyes roving up and down Pansy as though she were a speck of dirt on the floor. Draco was going to lose it. “Especially one that requires such time to train and will impede on your careers. Well, nothing’s official at the moment, I can see. Always time to change your mind; that’s what the foster system is for, no?”

“That’s enough,” Harry spat, pushing himself back from the table to stand up.

“Ah, Dolores,” a silky voice interrupted in a tone that Draco knew from his own childhood to be far more dangerous than alluring. “I’m surprised you’re here; last I heard, you were drowning in your routine duties and on the cusp of being demoted. I would hate for such an embarrassing story to make its way to the press.”

The woman let out a squeak before turning face and waddling away, her disgusting, bright pink outfit visible from even far away.

“Grandpere would like his princess back,” Abraxas crooned, bending down to pick up the girl. “Finish this line up, we’ll be back. Oh, and… you’re welcome.”

“Taco!” Pansy squeaked, smiling brightly at Draco when he handed the ugly dragon over to her.

“It’s very loud in here, let’s go take a moment to breathe,” Abraxas suggested, walking back towards the manor.

“Okay!” Pansy replied, always happy to go on an adventure with her grandpapa. 

“Hi darlings,” one of the most beautiful women Pansy had ever seen greeted in a happy voice.

“Grandmere! Hi!” Pansy smiled, waving her free hand towards the woman who was waiting for them right inside the manor. Pansy didn’t know how her papa and Lucie had such blond hair when grandmere’s was a striking chestnut brown that shined like the sun was on it all of the time. 

“There’s my sweet girl,” the woman cooed in her light German accent, rubbing a warm hand over Pansy’s back.

“Pretty fingers!” Pansy said, rubbing a reverent hand over the older woman’s polished nails. “Me too?”

“We can get your nails done this week,” Livana confirmed with a smile. “I’m sure your nana would love to come, too.”

The woman made a mental note to find a little-friendly nail salon, honestly uncertain of what precautions needed to be taken to ensure little girls didn’t swallow toxic polish.

“Fun!” Pansy exclaimed.

The trio was quiet as they headed upstairs, and Pansy didn’t even realize until that moment that she was wet. It only happened because her daddy and papa were always making her drink water and juice and milk! 

Maybe she should tell grandpere so she can get changed while they’re inside?

“Wet, grandpapa,” Pansy whispered.

The man hid a smile, knowing it would only embarrass his darling if she knew that that was why he’d pulled her away. That and knowing the girl didn’t deserve to suffer the fate of dealing with the insipid brown-nosers who were greeting his two grandsons and trying to have a chance to interact with Pansy. Not that Harry and Draco would allow strangers to address her personally without recourse, though.

“We’ll get you all cleaned up,” Abraxas promised.

“Pyjamas?” she asked hopefully.

“Not yet, sweetheart,” Livana replied, knowing that the girl would be upset. “You look so pretty in your dress, don’t you want to show your cousins?”

“Want to see Reggie,” Pansy pouted, making quite the sad sight on the changing table.

“We can go see them now,” Abraxas promised. “Your daddies are having boring conversations, I’m sure Regulus and Rabastan will be happy to see you.”

“Daddy and papa,” Pansy replied.

“I stand corrected,” the man nodded, smiling. “Daddy and papa.”

Pansy nodded seriously at that, though she was annoyed by the way she couldn’t just drop her head back. Why did they care so much about her hair?

“We see Reggie?” Pansy asked after Abraxas taped up her diaper.

Livana didn’t reply, but ran gentle fingers through Pansy’s hair to fix a few fly-aways.

“There we are!” the woman stated, stepping away.

Pansy was excited to be placed on the ground near Reggie when back in the tent. The boy was her height despite taking the resizing potion, and pulled her into a tight hug without reservation.

“Hello Pansy! Dad said you couldn’t eat with us, but I told him I wanted to ask you to. Rab was just being gross and talking about stuff I didn’t like!”

Pansy smiled shyly at the boy, happy he wanted to be her friend.

“We can play now?” she asked uncertainly.

“Let me ask my dads,” the boy replied, knowing they’d be mad if he ran off without telling them.

Regulus took Pansy’s hand and carefully walked her over to where a group of people had formed around the former and current minister and their spouses. The girl was a bit nervous being around so many tall people. Being short was hard, and she was scared to become even smaller if she took the resizing remedy. There was a lot to think about

The boy tugged on black fabric, and Hermione only saw that it was her Uncle Tom when he turned around.

“Regulus, Hermione,” the man greeted, bending down to their height and smiling softly. “What do you need?”

“Poppy, can I take Pansy to play please?” the boy asked, grey eyes wide.

Tom smiled affectionately at his boy, “There isn’t much room to play here, son, but perhaps we can go see if Draco and Harry are ready to dance?”

“Yes!” Regulus exclaimed, turning to Pansy with a happy and innocent smile. It took all of Tom’s power not to pull his darling boy into a bear hug. Walburga Black was an idiot who didn’t know what she was missing, and it was Tom’s pleasure to take her down. He looked forward to doing the same to the Parkinsons, though he’d promised to include Abraxas in the plotting this time. The first step was leaving them off the invitation list for today’s event, a move that impacted both the younger Bulstrode girl and the Carrow who the Parkinson boys were married to.

Tom knew, of course, that Pansy hadn’t been invited to the small wedding ceremony of her brothers, so why would they invite them here?

“Let’s be careful as we walk,” Tom warned, getting a serious nod from Regulus. He may have overhyped the boy on the need to treat his cousin gently, but it gave the boy wind in his sails. It was hard to be a younger brother, especially to a child as rambunctious as Rabastan. Having Pansy around gave Regulus a feeling of responsibility, and hell if Tom wasn’t going to encourage that.

“Yes, poppy! I’ll watch Pansy,” the boy replied, making sure he had firm hold of his little cousin’s hand. She was already small, and Regulus was shocked to hear she’d get even smaller after taking his dad’s resizing potion. Now that she was his friend and cousin, Regulus knew he’d have to watch out for her. Take that, Rabastan! He was a big boy too.

Tom was annoyed at the audacity of his fellow wedding-goers as they walked through the crowd to get near the head table. He was especially irate with those who jumped out of line in order to try and speak to him, and hoped they felt suitably chastised with the side eye he sent them. How dare adults act like children trying to sit with the quidditch captain in the Great Hall?

The man didn’t even have to make a show of bypassing the line, no, he had the honour of watching Pansy interrupt Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, leaving the curly-haired woman with a look of extreme distaste on her face. 

The Lestrange was fine on the surface, of course, but Rodolphus never gave his biological brother the love that he deserved, even when it was clear that he was a little. Bellatrix, of course, was the least of the Black sisters, no matter how much she tried to convince others differently. Tom loved to watch this scene play out so publicly, and wouldn’t even reprimand his son for allowing Pansy to run off and interrupt an adult conversation.

“Gentlemen,” Tom greeted after he felt Bellatrix had stewed enough. Perhaps he could twist the knife in her gut further if she were to flirt in the distasteful, overt way she often did. “Sorry to interrupt, the children were excited to see you.”

“Dance too, papa!” Pansy smiled, looking like a prim princess as she looked towards Tom from her perch on Draco’s lap. Both Harry and Draco seemed unaware of Bellatrix’s dark look at being interrupted, but Tom didn’t miss it. He missed nothing.

“Oh, you’re ready to dance?” Draco replied with a soft smile, receiving nods from both Pansy and Regulus where he stood patiently next to them.

“Sorry to cut our conversation short, Aunt Bella, Uncle Rodolphus,” Draco said politely. Tom, however, could tell he wasn’t sorry at all, and noted with grim satisfaction that he didn’t introduce Hermione to the pair.

“Draco, darling, are you ready?” Narcissa asked, walking over on Lucius’ arm with Lily and James following.

First dances were an extremely muggle concept, but one that Lily had insisted on. The woman had asked for so little in the wedding planning that Harry and Draco felt guilty not relenting.

“We are,” Draco confirmed.

“C’mere, pumpkin,” James said, reaching to pluck Pansy up.

“We’ll wait a moment while Harry and Draco dance,” Tom was saying quietly to his son, moving to the front of the newly formed loose circle around the open center of the reception tent.

James was reminding Pansy of the same, rocking the girl in his arms as the band, now accompanied by a singer, began to sing.

Fairy lights were illuminated suddenly, leaving a pretty glow in the middle of the room where Draco and Harry looked like they were hugging while they danced.

Pansy forgot about her desires to go to dance and sleep as she watched them; the men looked so nice together, especially when such a special song was playing. She hadn’t heard anything other than orchestral music until she’d been at the Potters over Christmas; Pansy hadn’t even known what singing was… she loved to sing now, especially to the songs in the movies she watched.

She watched as her daddy and papa went to grab their mothers from the opposite side of the circle when a slower song came on. Lily was crying as they danced, close enough for Pansy and her grampy to witness, which was not good at all.

“Grammy cries?” she asked in a soft voice, concerned for the woman she loved.

“She’s happy, pumpkin. Sometimes people cry when they’re happy,” James explained, knowing he was explaining away the tears in his own eyes as well. When the second song was over, both Draco and Harry kissed their mothers before guiding them over to where Pansy was, handing the women off to their husbands.

“May we have this dance?” Draco asked in his aristocratic tone. Pansy was happily transferred to his arms, and loved the way that Harry and Draco took turns twirling her around in their arms and danced with her on the ground, though that meant they had to hunch down a lot. Harry tickled her a lot after she’d told him how silly he looked trying to dance while bent over.

She was surprised by the way the crowd filled in around them as almost everyone present joined in the dancing, especially when Regulus asked Harry if they could dance. The girl shyly nodded when Harry promised that it was her choice and giggled at the way that Reggie clasped one of her hands in his and placed the other on his hip when she was placed on the ground.

Draco was pleased to see that a photographer was kneeling down, taking photos of the adorable pair. They’d allowed photographers from multiple outlets in for the entirety of the event as well as someone they’d hired to take photographs for their own keepsakes. He was impatient to see what photos would come out, especially those that would surely grace the cover of magazines and newspapers on what was sure to be a slow news day tomorrow.

With the grace that was required of a young, newlywed lord, Draco allowed himself to be pulled into dances with many women present and listened to what Lily called their elevator pitches. It was an American term used to describe the way that people would condense their wants and needs down to a one minute speech, as if they only had a lift ride to speak with you. 

He didn’t disagree with Lily that that was what most people were up to when they had a moment to talk to him; whether it was about his and Harry’s plans for their careers, where they were planning to live, about the future of the Malfoy’s Wizengamot seat… he was happy to answer questions he had a million times before. He only started to get frustrated when an influx of questions about Pansy, who was now dancing with the Minister, came.

He was surprised that his girl had stayed awake to this point, as stubborn as she was, but completely unsurprised at the way she started to cry when Hagrid, who she normally loved, reached to pluck her from Sirius’ arms when a song ended minutes later.

“Oh, girlie! Yer okay,” Hagrid tried to soothe, patting one finger on the girl’s back as though he were scared of breaking her spine. Honestly, Draco appreciated the concern. The man was not known for his gentle handling of anyone or anything.

“Papa!” Pansy cried as the man walked closer, almost launching herself at Draco from the high perch of Hagrid’s arms.

“You’re okay, princess,” Draco cooed, smiling when a hot, snotty face was pressed into his neck. The girl would be asleep in minutes.

“Sorry, Draco! Just wanted ter take her out for a dance…” Hagrid said, looking sheepish and uncertain in a way that was odd on someone so large.

Draco was thinking through how to reply when Harry walked up, having a sixth sense for getting his husband out of these conversations.

“No worries, Hagrid, it’s been a long day. We’re grateful you came.”

“Wouldn’t miss it fer the world! I remember when ye were just first years…” Hagrid said with a sigh, and Harry knew he needed to cut him off before a rant came.

“We’ll be back down Hagrid,” Harry promised, though he hoped the man would be drunk and asleep in a double-wide chair before that happened. He loved Hagrid, but not enough to reminisce about the days of old on his wedding day.

As though they had been watching, which honestly wouldn’t surprise Draco, a softly smiling Katie and Marcus headed towards the manor as Draco, Harry and Pansy trailed behind.

“Sleepy, papa,” Pansy cried as though she’d had the worst day ever in the way only an overtired little girl could.

“I know,” Draco replied sympathetically. “I know… we’ll get you all ready for bed before we leave, okay?”

Pansy’s cries stuttered at that, “We leave?”

Harry let out a groan at Draco’s rare verbal misstep. “Remember what we talked about? You’re going to stay with Katie and Marcus, then we’ll see you in seven sleeps.”

“I still see nana and grammy,” Pansy mumbled back, remembering the conversation. How’d she forget?

“That’s right,” Draco replied, hoping to regain his footing. “Nana and grammy and Lucie and grampy and grandpapa and grandpere and Dorea and Uncle Tom and Uncle Sev and Rabby and Reggie…”

The girl let out a pleased noise at all of the names, “I miss you…”

“We’ll miss you too, precious,” Harry replied honestly, waving a hand to have Katie and Marcus follow them up to Pansy’s nursery where her diaper bag was.

“Taco!” Pansy said all of a sudden, eyes filling with tears again. “No Taco…”

“Bollocks,” Harry muttered.

“I can go find Taco,” Marcus said, causing Pansy’s teary face to lift in surprise at the sight of her foster caregivers. “Any idea where he is?”

“Thanks, Mark, I’ll have an elf can grab him,” Draco replied, calling in an elf who returned with the plushy beast before Pansy had even been taken out of her dress.

“Let’s get you into some soft pyjamas,” Harry said, receiving a happy smile at finally being taken out of her dress. Sure it was soft, but nothing was better than a soft nightie.

Pansy sat still while Harry unzipped her dress, her head falling forward as she dozed off.

“Let me help undo her hair,” Narcissa’s voice sounded suddenly, causing everyone, including the auror, to jump. 

No one was surprised at the way a wet diaper-clad Pansy let out soft whines as Narcissa gently undid her hair, keeping the girl company while Draco and Harry talked softly with Katie and Marcus about their plans to leave for Greece in a few minutes.

“There we go!” Narcissa exclaimed, running a detangling brush through the curls now soft waves. “Such a good girl…”

“Thanks, mother,” Draco smiled, moving to tag team Pansy’s diaper change with Harry for the last time for a while.

The men were a bit upset, but not surprised, that the girl was mostly asleep by the time they were saying their goodbyes. Harry’s jaw was tight as he watched Pansy settle in Marcus’ arms, knowing deep down that Pansy still wasn’t theirs and that they really should take a vacation before adopting a child.

It made sense, obviously, and their parents had encouraged it when they’d suggested perhaps taking a full family vacation instead so that Pansy could come. 

Lily, kind hearted Lily, was right, as she often was, when she promised them that they’d have a lifetime of vacations with Pansy and that they’d regret never taking one without a child. Narcissa laughed, agreeing that despite Draco’s easy childhood, her and Lucius had still wished for trips by their lonesome.

The men tried not to be embarrassed by Katie’s knowing look after they’d given Pansy what had to have been 100 kisses and Harry took his fourth race around the room searching for items she may need as though the girl had been living there and not at Katie and Marcus’.

“You’ll be fine,” Katie soothed. “She’ll be fine. We’re magic, remember? You can portkey back if she needs something, but please… enjoy your trip.”

“Okay, okay…” Harry sighed, walking the couple towards the Floo situated in what was now Draco and Harry’s wing of the manor.

“Wait!” Draco said in a slightly raised voice. “I think she’s allergic to nuts… don’t give her any nuts.”

Katie gave Draco a half-amused, half-concerned look. “And I’m assuming you’d like her to be tested when you’re back?”

“Yes,” Draco replied, willing the woman to call them out.

“You boys are whipped,” Katie sighed, slinging Pansy’s bag more securely over her shoulder before handing her husband the pot of Floo powder. “So, so whipped.”

With the way that their eyes teared up as Pansy disappeared into the fireplace, they wouldn’t disagree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment comment comment!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments, they keep me going :)

Pansy was super bored and confused! Katie had brought her to St. Mungo’s this morning, saying that she had a friend who wanted to meet her. Pansy had, of course, been nervous, but she trusted Katie.

The girl had been waiting in Dorcas’ special room for what felt like hours, and not even the colouring books in there could distract her. What was she waiting for?

A knock on the door took Pansy out of her head.

“Hi Pansy, I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” a really big man walked into the room, even bigger than Marcus. “Everything okay?” 

She nodded, speaking honestly in the way only children did. “You’re really big!”

The man let out a laugh, settling into a leather chair that miraculously fit him. “I am, you’re right. People thought Hagrid was my brother when I was at school!”

Pansy let out a giggle, “You don’t look like Hagrid! He has brown eyes and brown hair.”

“You’re right,” the man replied seriously. He had golden blond hair and green eyes that made Pansy feel comfortable. “Would you like to come sit near me?”

Pansy thought for a second before nodding. “I finish?”

The man nodded, “You can take the colouring book home if you don’t finish.”

Pansy walked over, climbing up onto the leather chair sat across from the man with only minimal struggle.

“Great! Thanks for being so patient, Pansy. My name is Thorfinn, and we’re just going to talk a bit today. Everything that you tell me is a secret between us and your healers. Do you understand that?”

“Katie and Dorcas?” Pansy confirmed, not sure who he meant. They were healers, right?

“Exactly,” the man smiled.

“Okay,” Pansy nodded. Talking to the nice man sounded easy enough!

“Don’t mind me if I write a few things down, okay? Now, I’d love to get to know you… Katie told me that you live together. How do you like living with her and Marcus?”

Pansy nodded with a big smile, “Yeah! Me and Katie and Marcus… we eat and play together, but I sleep in my crib… they share a bed, but not me.”

“Ah, that makes sense. Sounds like you have a lot of fun. Do you like sleeping in your crib?”

“Yes! Taco and Lovey sleep with me all the time… even at daddy and papa’s.”

“Oh? Who are daddy and papa?”

Pansy had to think for a moment to remember their names and let out a giggle. “I forgetted their names! Draco and Harry.”

Thorfinn let out a surprised laugh. He was told the girl was cute, but that didn’t fully encapsulate the tiny doll of a little in front of him.

“Ah, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter?”

“Yes! You know?”

“I do, I was a seventh year when Draco and Harry were little firsties. They were about as tall as you, maybe even shorter!”

Pansy giggled, “Did you play with them?”

“I was on the quidditch team, but Draco and Harry didn’t join their squads until third year. But I went back to watch them play games! I was also in Slytherin with Draco, so I saw him often… what house are you in, Pansy?”

“Hufflepuff!”

“Wow, my sister was a Hufflepuff,” Thorfinn smiled. He had a soft spot for badgers.

“When?”

“She graduated two years ago, her name is Oiva.”

“Pretty,” Pansy replied. “Where is she?”

“She’s at home with her mama and daddy, she’s a little too.”

Pansy’s eyes lit up. “How many years is she?”

“Three years old.”

“Oh! She can play with Reggie… he is three too!” Pansy got so excited… her and Reggie would love to have a new friend.

“That’s sweet of you, I’m sure she’d love that! Oiva loves making new friends… What about you, Pansy? Do you have friends you like to play with?”

“Um… I play with daddy and papa and nana and grammy… and Reggie… and Addie and Celeste... and Hermione and Luna and Dennis… and Lucie and grampy and grandpapa and Uncle Tom and Uncle Sev… and Uncle Sirius and Aunt Marley and Uncle Remus. Lots of friends!”

“Wow, that is a lot of friends! I’d love to know more about your brothers and mother and father, actually. Can you tell me about them?”

He wasn’t shocked at the way the girl’s shoulders slumped, but knew this was part of his job. 

“Uncle Siri said they signed papers to not have me come back, but it’s okay because I have better family.”

“Did you like living with them?”

“No! I don’t want to go back,” she whimpered, eyes wide in fear.

“Shh, sweetheart, you’re okay. I just have to ask you some questions, you’re being so brave.”

“I stay?”

“You won’t go back to them,” Thorfinn promised. “Why don’t we talk about something more fun. I saw you throwing pretty flowers at Draco and Harry’s wedding.”

Pansy’s scared expression turned to one of joy quickly. Thorfinn loved the resilience of littles.

“I did! I had fun… now daddy and papa are married!”

“Why do you call them your daddy and papa?”

“They’re my daddy and papa,” Pansy replied in a matter of fact tone.

“Can you try and explain why?” Thorfinn asked, expecting the annoyed sigh he received. The girl was clearly on the cusp of entering a deep headspace, something he knew came with the probing nature of most of these conversations.

“They are nice and play with me… Grandpapa said papa and daddy love me and want to stay with me forever. He even got them a special house so we can play in America!”

“What’s your grandpapa’s name?”

Pansy shrugged. She had no idea what his name was.

“Lucius?”

She laughed, “No, silly! That’s Lucie. Grandpapa is Lucie’s daddy…”

Thorfinn raised an eyebrow at the name drop of the former Minister, a bit of a legend in the wizarding world.

“Ah, Minister Malfoy.”

“He said that’s a silly name and I’m too cute to say it.”

Thorfinn was wise enough not to reply to that; it was clear the former Minister was wrapped around the girl’s finger, and he didn’t want to get in the way of that.

“I see... What do you think about Regulus having two daddies? Do you ever talk about how he wasn’t born to them?”

“Some people are just little… it’s magic. Reggie’s parents were sad that he was little, just like mine. So his poppy and dad helped him get away and they love him forever!”

Thorfinn could tell that the question had the girl acting more like an almost-twelve-year-old than he’d seen and took advantage of it.

“Minister Riddle and Professor Snape are now his parents; since Regulus is little, they have control over what he eats, when he goes to sleep, who he plays with... It may be hard to understand, but when littles get adopted by caregivers, they take the place of your other parents. Does that make sense to you?”

“Like how Hermione has a mama, papa and daddy, but she grew up with other people? Now they only play sometimes since she lives with her mama, papa and daddy. And Ophi! Or… or like Dennis, his parents are Hannah and Ernie but he has a brother Colin and other parents!”

“Exactly right, smart girl. It’s a little tough to talk about, but my job is to make sure you understand what being adopted by caregivers means. It’s hard to think about, but we can do it together. And you can let me know if you’d like to get a drink or eat a snack at any point, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Would you like Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy to become your caregivers?” Pansy looked slightly confused, causing Thorfinn to clarify. “To become your daddy and papa.”

“Yes!”

“Do you trust them to make hard decisions for you? That means rules, bedtime, food you eat, when you can play with friends…”

“Yes,” Pansy replied without a doubt.

“Is there anything you’re scared of?”

Pansy was silent for a moment, feeling older than she ever had. “I… what if they get bored? Or I’m bad… or if I can’t ever use the potty?”

The man gave her a sympathetic look, wanting to reach over and console the little, but restraining himself.

“Hmm.. how would you feel about having them answer those questions?”

Her blue eyes widened, “Scared.”

“Don’t be scared, little one. If you never ask, you’ll never know…”

“You stay?”

“Yeah, girlie, I’ll stay. Just give me one moment to see if I can Floo them.”

Thorfinn left the room, knowing that Alastor Moody, the head of the little welfare division at DMLE, would keep an eye on the girl from the hidden observation room. The grizzled man had been adamant to be the one to observe the conversation Thorfinn, a classification therapist, had with Pansy. 

Draco and Harry had already had their mandatory session with Thorfinn as well as the meeting with leadership at the DMLE required for those looking to take on a little who’d been in the foster system. James, as head auror, was unable to sit in on the meeting, so DMLE head Kingsley Shacklebolt and senior auror Moody led the meeting.

All that was left was for Pansy to consent knowingly, as knowingly as a little could, to what having a caregiver meant. It was a bit of a mixed bag when it came to the difficulty of these conversations. Muggleborn littles often had the hardest time, with their biological parents trying to hang onto custody of a child that they weren’t equipped to care for. That made it difficult for those littles that hadn’t formed a tight bond with caregivers, but easier for those who had.

Pansy, however, was a different story. The girl had grown up without the knowledge of what it meant to be a little, but also without the understanding of the role of real parents. Katie and Marcus, Draco and Harry, for all of their care for Pansy… they weren’t her caregivers. They didn’t have the ability to truly discipline the girl or give her a set schedule, not when she could be ripped from it immediately. Her time at Hogwarts had been easier, as so much was mandated by the way Sirius led the littles dorm with an iron fist.

Thorfinn knew what his easy task was; to ensure that the girl wanted Draco and Harry as her caregivers. He also knew what his difficult task was; to ensure that the girl knew exactly what she was getting into.

Draco and Harry stood up immediately, having braved the little division’s public waiting room in case Pansy needed them. She, of course, had no idea that they were there, thinking she was just going to work with Katie to meet her friend. Like he said… Thorfinn loved littles.

“Is she okay?” Harry asked, eyebrows knit together.

“She’s fine, relax,” Thorfinn snorted. “She just has a few questions that I figured would be better for her to ask you directly. Please don’t try and sit with her, I need you to keep your distance. Any physical affection can skew our consent process.”

“Of course,” Draco replied easily, knowing his husband would be pouting over that news.

“Daddy! Papa!” Pansy squealed, toddling over to the pair and lifting her arms up. The men only bent down and gave her quick hugs before straightening up.

“Let’s go finish our conversation,” Thorfinn suggested. “Pansy, remember what we were talking about?”

The girl was annoyed at the fact that no one was sharing a chair with her. No, instead, she was sitting in her own chair while Draco and Harry shared a couch. It wasn’t fair!

“Pansy, focus,” Draco commanded, knowing the girl’s mind was all over the place just by looking at her.

“What were we talking about again, Pansy?”

“I’m scared,” the girl said quietly.

“Ah, that’s right!” Thorfinn exclaimed as though he truly didn’t recall what Pansy was talking about. “Pansy was sharing some concerns about being your little with me.”

“You can ask us anything,” Harry smiled kindly. “Pinky promise.”

The girl took a breath, trying to think through all of her concerns. It wasn’t just daddy and papa that worried her… they were the people she was least scared of! The whole idea of being little was pretty scary, honestly, especially when she talked to Rabby and Reggie, who had lived a lot longer than her.

“What if you get mad at me and don’t want me?” she asked, eyes wide as she worried her lower lip with her dragon’s tail.

Draco and Harry met eyes before the blond spoke. “Sweetheart, we will never get tired of you. You are our best girl, but even the most well-behaved little boys and girls make mistakes sometimes… that doesn’t mean that we will ever send you away.”

“Papa’s right,” Harry agreed. “Every family gets upset over something at some point. You’ve even told us that you’ve been mad at us before, right? Does that mean you don’t want to be our Pansy anymore?”

“No!”

“Exactly… and papa and I feel the same way. We may get upset with each other, but we’ll always be family.”

Family… that word had Pansy blurting out her next question. “Rabby said you may want real kids, but he’s lucky because his daddies didn’t. Am I not a real kid?”

Draco wanted to ring the little’s neck. For such a young little, Regulus hadn’t been able to quite shake the horror that was growing up a member of the Black family.

“Then, then… Hermione said her parents said they love her and Ophi the same even though they had Ophi first than her.”

“Hm, that’s a very big thought, Pansy,” Thorfinn said, leaning back in his chair.

The concept of families with both littles and biological children, especially when the biological children were born after couples adopted the little, was a tricky and often uncomfortable one. The idea of biological children who were later classified as neutrals and caregivers outgrowing their sibling who they grew up beside was tough for many to swallow, but others still grew their families.

“I can’t promise you that we won’t have biological children, but that doesn’t mean we won’t always love you,” Draco said, knowing that anything other than an open door wasn’t responsible. “You are our princess; if we have any other children, that won’t change.”

Pansy’s stomach still felt uncomfortable at the thought of a really little baby having its diapers changed next to her then growing up and becoming big and potty-trained while she never did. It was scary to even think about. 

“I don’t like it,” Pansy replied petulantly, but honestly.

“We don’t have to think about it now,” Harry soothed.

“Mr. Finn said you get to make rules if you are my daddies… what rules?”

Draco couldn’t help but smile at the diminutive Pansy made of the hulking man near her. She clearly had no idea who he was; Thorfinn Rowle had gone onto win the Quidditch World Cup for England and three championships for the Ballycastle Bats before retiring and deciding to become a classification therapist. Literally no one had expected it, but after his year of training, he’d been hired by St. Mungo’s and was loved by littles and caregivers alike. 

The man hadn’t settled down with a little or spouse of his own, but was content to serve others for the time being.

“Well, rules will be decided together, as a family. Remember when we talked about how you thought daddy and I were bossy, but we were just instituting the rules that our parents had for us? That’s exactly what we’re talking about… a bedtime, set nap times, rules for putting your toys away, and keeping you safe.”

“I can go to Hogwarts with rules?”

Both men nodded quickly and Harry spoke, “Absolutely. You will finish Hogwarts, and Uncle Sirius will be there to help you.”

“What about…” Pansy blushed. “What about nappies? Dennis is saying he can learn to use the potty, but I don’t know if I can. Will you be sad if I always use them?”

“We will never be upset about something you can’t help, precious. Remember what Katie told you? You can’t be upset over something your magic and body are doing… Whether that’s wearing a nappy or papa and I helping you get dressed, we will never be upset. Even if you wear nappies forever.”

“Okay,” Pansy nodded, settling back into the chair.

“No more questions, little one?” Thorfinn asked.

“Nope,” Pansy replied, swinging her legs and hearing the tell tale squish of a wet diaper. 

“Well, I think you two are well-suited to take this little pudding cup home with you forever,” Thorfinn smiled. Pansy let out a happy squeal, jumping into Draco’s arms when he stood up from the chair. The man didn’t even have it within him to chastise her for the dangerous move; they were going to be a family, and that’s all that mattered.

“Do you need anything else from us?” Draco asked, handing Pansy off to his husband.

“No, I don’t, but the Ministry will be in touch for final sign off within 24 hours.”

“Let’s get you changed,” Harry murmured, looking around on the ground for Pansy’s diaper bag, assuming that Katie had brought it.

“Wait!” Pansy screeched as Thorfinn headed towards the door. “Hug!”

The man let out a booming laugh, walking over to her and picking her up like she was a sack of flour.

“Mr. Finn, do you like little girls?” Pansy asked, pushing back on his shoulders so she could look in his eyes.

Harry let out a snort, receiving a sharp look from Draco for his immaturity.

“I am a caregiver and do not have a little, if that’s what you’re asking,” Thorfinn smiled sunnily.

“Papa, help him meet Tracey. Ee can be her daddy!” Pansy said adamantly, drawing surprised and thoughtful looks from Harry and Draco.

“My smart girl, that’s a very good idea,” Draco agreed. Tracey was living with Adrian Pucey and Angelina Johnson Pucey, two caregivers without a little of their own, through the foster system that year, but Pansy may have been onto something…

“She’s my friend, she’s a Slytherin and does my hair and is even bigger than Hermione! They’re both muggleborns because their parents aren’t magic, and she’s sad and living with fosters like me.”

“That’s a lot of information,” Thorfinn nodded. “I’m sorry to hear your friend’s sad, I’ll see if I can meet her.”

“Yes! You can play and be her daddy so she won’t be sad.”

“You’re a good girl, Pansy,” Harry said, moving to take the girl from Thorfinn before she made his brain explode. “Say bye bye to Thorfinn.”

“Bye bye!” Pansy said, hugging the man tightly before being shifted into Harry’s arms.

“If you want to meet Tracey… I think Pansy may be onto something,” Draco murmured to his former housemate. “She’s a good girl, she’ll need someone strong.”

“I’m actually going over to Adrian and Ang’s tonight,” Thorfinn smiled.

“Love when a plan comes together,” Draco said with the shake of his head. “Thanks for being good to our girl, Thor. We’re grateful for everyone who’s made this as painless as it can be for her.”

“Just doing my job,” the hulking man nodded. “Take care of her… she’s a good one.”

“We know,” Draco smiled. “Is there a private room where we can change her?”

“There’s a family restroom two doors to our left,” Thor replied just as quietly. “We’ll be in touch by tomorrow.”

“Thanks again.”

“Bye Mr. Finn!” Pansy said, waving as the man left.

“Why don’t we go get changed then see how Katie is doing?”

“Okay!” Pansy nodded. The hallway of the ward was empty as they walked two doors down. “No…”

Draco shushed Pansy’s whining as Harry laid her on the magically cleaning changing table in the family room. “No whining, precious. We’ll get you changed then go see Katie.”

“Don’t like it,” Pansy pouted.

“Getting changed is much better than a yucky rash,” Draco replied.

The girl groaned, but didn’t reply. Checkmate. 

When they had headed back into the hallway, Katie was waiting there, clearly having talked to Thorfinn.

“Katie! Hi!” Pansy smiled, waving to the woman with Taco still tucked under her arm. “We go?”

“No, sweetie, I have to stay at work,” Katie frowned. “Would you like to stay at the daycare or go with Harry and Draco!”

“No daycare! I go,” Pansy smiled, yawning almost immediately after. It was 11am, and the three caregivers knew she’d be asleep soon.

“All right, Marcus will come get you later. Upside down dinner night, remember?”

Pansy clapped her hands together, waving goodbye to Katie as Harry carried her off. The men were careful not to hype Pansy up, wanting her to take her nap without a fight.

“We see grampy? He said we play…” Pansy yawned again, nuzzling her nose into the bare skin of Harry’s neck.

Draco shrugged, not really having a stake in which manor they Flooed to.

Pansy was asleep by the time they’d stepped through the Floo, which was good since James was at work. Draco went to Floo Severus and see if Regulus was available to come over later, hoping to keep the girl from having a fit over James being at work.

Harry headed downstairs after placing Pansy in her crib, now at the point where he didn’t tell elves not to watch over the girl while she slept. Whether at the Malfoys or the Potters, there was always an entire host of elves that wanted to protect their littlest charge. The biggest concession they were able to receive was that only one elf would watch Pansy, and they would grab a human if there was a problem. The last thing they needed was Pansy to freak out over being woken up by an elf, even though the girl loved spending time with them when she was fully awake.

After checking the normal places Draco would be, Harry headed out to his mother’s garden. Far more modest than Narcissa’s, but still a beautiful place to relax and enjoy lunch. 

“Harry, love,” Lily said with a smile. 

“Dorcas, Marlene, Alice,” Harry smiled at his mum’s three closest friends who’d drawn his husband into conversation. The women were far too young to be as gossipy as they were, but Harry learned from his father and the women’s husbands not to say anything when they were together. It was far better for others to be in their line of fire.

He pulled out a chair in between Draco and Alice Longbottom, sighing as the rare sunny day soaked into his skin.

“Where’s Pansy?” Dorcas asked. Harry was realizing that was going to be the first question that he and Draco received for the rest of his life. Curse them for adopting such a perfect girl.

“She’s napping,” Harry replied. “She’s started taking two since the school year ends, Katie said it isn’t surprising. Especially with the morning she had.”

“No, I’m not surprised,” Dorcas shrugged easily. “I think she’ll have a harder time when back at school, but Sirius can figure out how to move around her schedule.”

“Take her out of Care for Magical Creatures,” Draco groaned.

“Hey,” Harry replied with a sharp look.

“I’m with Draco,” Alice giggled. “Neville almost lost an arm trying to help Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest this year… probably not the best class for a little.”

“Quite right,” Dorcas agreed. “How was Finn? Everything go okay?”

“It did,” Draco replied, the women were all trusted figures and he didn’t feel bad discussing in front of them if the healer was comfortable. “She really liked him, and he said everything should finish processing by tomorrow.”

“To our shock, I think she may have even found him a little… she said he needed to meet Tracey Davis.”

Dorcas’ jaw dropped down as she thought. “That brilliant girl; how had I not thought of that? He has the perfect temperament to get her comfortable and integrated… and she’ll play to all of his protective instincts while being old enough to be self sufficient. I love it.”

“He said he’s going to Pucey’s tonight, so I’m sure we’ll hear soon,” Draco smiled smugly. His girl was brilliant. 

“I will be hounding him immediately,” Dorcas replied.

“Oh, Dorcas! Tell the boys,” Marlene smiled, her curly blond hair pulled into a perfectly sleek ponytail.

“Ah,” Dorcas nodded. “The twins were classified on their birthday last week as caregivers.”

“That’s fantastic, the whole family in one sweep,” Draco smiled. “How are they feeling? I know their classification results were inconclusive the first time around though they’d been in Sirius’ LLP.”

A weird side effect of the modern classification system came into play when twins were involved. Though they may show emotional and physical signs of being a little or caregiver, tests could appear inconclusive for some twins. Some said that it was due to the fact that younger twins were often attached at the hip, making their personality and classification slide to the back of their minds and instincts. Draco knew their parents, two caregivers, were nervous about this as they could tell that the boys were likely caregivers.

He knew that this had to be a relief for them.

“Excited, nervous, ready to get back to Hogwarts and truly dive into the upper-level practical, which… who would’ve guessed? Gideon is over the moon.”

Sisyphus and Salmoneus Prewett were identical in looks, but polar opposites in personality. Sif favoured his studious, headstrong mother, while Sal was just as mischievous as his father and his own twin, Fabian. The Weasley-Prewett clan’s proclivity towards twins was terrifying to both Draco and Harry; they couldn’t imagine having twins in their family, especially with how troublesome both sets of younger Weasley and Prewett twins were.

“The upper level practical is where rubber hits the road,” Harry said. “As much as I love the Hogwarts curriculum… It's certainly the most useful class, especially as a fifth year when you can see how sixth and seventh years interact with littles who are settled into their headspaces.”

“Speaking of… will Pansy join a practical class next year?” Marlene asked genuinely. Both men knew that the women were truly curious and wouldn’t use the information against them or Pansy, unlike so many others. “I heard what had happened and don’t blame you all for keeping her out. That’s a lot of change at once for an eleven-year-old.”

Ginny had been mortified to discover that Pansy wasn’t supposed to be in the LLP that had Pansy sliding deep into her headspace for the first time. When questioned intensely by Professors Black and McGonagall, she had admitted that she didn’t check Pansy’s schedule, but knew that the class was meeting and assumed she had it. The girl got a week’s worth of detention cleaning cauldrons for Professor Snape, the man snapping that maybe the work would teach her to pay attention to details.

Pansy had forgiven Ginny after a few days, inadvertently making the redhead feel even worse when she broke into sobs as Ginny started to apologize to her.

Tommen Nott had apologized to her on a random night that he visited the littles dorms a few weeks later, bringing a photography book of arctic animals after receiving a tip from his older brother Theo that Pansy loved animals. The girl had hugged the boy tightly, clambering onto his lap as he flipped through the pages and told her about his own trip to the Arctic Circle where he saw polar bears.

All in all, things had turned out well, but along with Sirius, they decided to keep Pansy out of an LLP for her first year. It was an easy decision, as none of her yearmates were in the class which put the little into an anxious space. She’d gotten enough integration living in the littles dorm, so they would loop back before her second year now that Harry and Draco wouldn’t be around to cater to her every need.

“We aren’t sure, honestly,” Draco replied. “Katie suggested having Pansy participate in a weekly session with Thorfinn Rowle, a classification therapist at St. Mungo’s in lieu of class. They hit it off well today, so I’m thinking that may work better. She still has a lot of anxiety in explicit one-on-one interactions with people she doesn’t consider trusted adults, and that hasn’t changed.”

“Katie’s even exceeded my greatest expectations,” Dorcas replied with a fond smile. “Which, to be fair, were exceptionally high.”

“Pansy loves her and Marcus,” Harry smiled. “I hope they realize that us adopting her doesn’t mean they can get rid of her or us, they’ll have to attend every family gathering from here on out.”

“Hopefully they’ll find their own little soon,” Alice smiled. “Speaking of… Frank and I are pretty certain that Addie may be a little herself.”

Harry and Draco shared a look; they’d guessed as much after watching the way the girl would spend so much time in the little’s dorm with or without Pansy present. She seemed to be a bit older than Pansy, perhaps four or five, but loved the way she’d play so nicely with Pansy.

“How exciting! I know you were uncertain,” Dorcas smiled. “Will you get her classified soon?”

Alice shook her head, “We aren’t too keen on pushing her unless she mentions it… our Addie is very honest with Frank and I, so we’ll leave it to her if she would like to be classified.”

“That’s very fair,” Dorcas agreed. “I’ll be here if you change your mind.”

Alice sighed, “It’s hard knowing Nev won’t be at school to take care of her…”

“We share your fears,” Draco smiled sympathetically. “I trust in the older caregivers to get the girls through… if anything, you can have her classified and she can spend the night at home.”

“Then poor Celeste will be alone…” the Longbottom woman smiled tearily as Lily rubbed her on the back comfortingly. 

“Everyone will be okay,” Lily promised. “We can’t count on what we don’t know… so let’s just celebrate the fact that the girls are going to have a good year, little or not.”

Draco had only just started in on his second sandwich when an elf popped in. He stood up immediately, knowing Pansy was likely awake.

“You stay, I’ve got her,” Draco nodded. “Lily, any chance James is home? Pansy was hoping to see him.”

The woman groaned, “She can have him, he decided to take a four day weekend and has been pouting because Sirius and Remus are too busy to see him.”

“Excellent,” Draco smiled, taking the elf’s hand and being apparated upstairs.

A bleary-eyed Pansy was letting out soft whimpers from behind her pacifier that had Draco cooing.

“Hi princess, did you have a good sleep?” he didn’t expect a reply and didn’t receive one, bringing Pansy to her changing table and unsnapping her pink and white polka-dotted onesie.

“Gw’py?” the girl asked, unwilling to remove her pacifier.

“Yeah, princess. Want grampy to give you your bottle?”

Pansy nodded, eyes lighting up and looking a little less like she was about to fall asleep.

Katie and Dorcas weren’t surprised or concerned that Pansy’s diet had been slowly shifting over the past few months, but impressed the importance of ensuring she ate regularly on Draco and Harry. She preferred a bottle for breakfast and lunch most days, especially unwilling to eat real food after she woke up from her morning nap. Severus had confirmed that his protein potion would provide the girl the sustenance she needed, but the healers at St. Mungo’s still regularly tested bottle-fed littles to ensure they were receiving the nutrients necessary to be alert and healthy.

“No!” Pansy whined as Draco went to put her sweats on after snapping the onesie shut around her diaper. “Warm…”

“Okay,” Draco soothed in reply, removing the joggers he’d been slipping over one small ankle.

Keeping his mouth shut, Draco picked up Pansy, Taco, and lovey before carrying them downstairs to James’ study.

“Come in!” a muffled voice shouted as Draco knocked on the door, Pansy already wiggling anxiously in his arms.

“Grampy!” Pansy squealed, her pacifier falling out of her mouth, but hanging onto the strap that they attached to her onesie. “We play!”

“My pretty pumpkin,” James grinned, dropping his quill onto his desk and moving over to take his granddaughter into his arms. “Are you here to save me from boring work, little one?”

Pansy giggled, shrugging her shoulders. Both of her granddads said such silly things.

“We play!” she repeated.

“An elf should be bringing a bottle, she needs lunch before anything else,” Draco said, receiving a one handed salute from James.

“She’s in good hands, we’ll see you later. Say buh-bye, papa!”

“Buh-bye papa!” Pansy said, giggling even louder at the way James moved her hand to wave back at the blond.

“Mmm… some milk to help my pumpkin grow big and strong!”

“What’s a pumpkin look like?” Pansy asked with a giggle.

The man let out a dramatic gasp as he moved to the couch to cradle Pansy in his arms and bring the warm bottle an elf had dropped off to her lips.

“Hmm… a pumpkin is orange and makes the yummy pumpkin juice so many people like. We can even go pick some out from a big green field in the fall. Would you like that?”

“Yes! We go now?” Pansy asked, pulling off the bottle and dribbling milk all over her neckline.

Damn, James thought. Lily was always chastising him for the way that he’d get Pansy excited to do something without regard for her loose grasp on the concept of time.

“No, butternut, not yet. Right after you go back to Hogwarts we can go. It needs to be a little chillier out, that’s when pumpkins grow big and strong.”

Pansy whined, but accepted the bottle back. James was a bit worried she’d fall asleep again, but super pleased at how she stayed awake for an afternoon of puzzles and blocks with him. 

Only a knock on the door brought him out of the pleasant time spent with the girl, fully concentrating on the Mega Bloks castle they were building. Pansy did not like how they were all different colours when she was first presented with the plastic blocks, so James had used his skills to painstakingly colour each block a different shade of pink to cement his granddaughter’s love for him. Thankfully, it had worked.

“Are you having fun with your grampy?” Harry asked, smiling.

Pansy nodded, smiling softly.

“Well, Katie is on her way over and you’re going to go with her, okay?”

“We have bubble bath,” Pansy replied seriously. “I was a good eater.”

“You’re always a good girl,” Harry grinned. “Give grampy hugs and kisses, you’ll see him soon.”

“Love my grampy,” Pansy cooed, pulling the man into a tight hug as she climbed onto his lap.

“I love you, pumpkin,” James replied, pressing kisses all over Pansy’s face to make her giggle. “See you soon.”

Harry picked Pansy up to carry her out, enjoying the way their shy girl felt so comfortable babbling to him. It was a remarkable difference that he attributed to the settling of her headspace and general comfortability with him, Draco, and their family.

Pansy was excited to see Draco talking to Katie and let out a happy noise at the sight of them.

“Hi Pansy!” Katie smiled, the blonde as bubbly as ever despite a long shift.

“Katie! We go take a bath,” Pansy smiled, reaching grabby hands out towards the woman.

“Why don’t you say bye bye first?” she suggested, knowing that Pansy would cry as soon as she got home and realized she hadn’t said goodbye to Draco.

“Pansy goes, papa,” the girl said as she was transferred to his arms. “We take bubble bath and eat breakfast!”

“Sounds like a fun night, sweetheart,” Draco replied. “I love you, daddy and I will see you tomorrow.”

“I love you,” Pansy replied. “Bye bye, papa!”

Harry and Draco shared a quick look as Pansy was carried through the Floo by Katie.

“I guess it’s a good thing that she has people she feels comfortable for us to leave her with,” Harry murmured wryly. “Now we just need to find those people at Hogwarts.”

Draco groaned, “I told you not to bring this up before we need to… let’s just concentrate on getting our papers sign and the shit that’ll come with the news making the Prophet first. One problem at a time.”

xxxxxxxxx

Harry and Draco were slightly anxious over being called to the Ministry the following morning, wondering what could have gone wrong with their paperwork. Especially when they were only called to a conference room in the middle of DMLE; what was going on and who were they meeting with?

“Ah, sorry for the delay, boys,” a very unconcerned Minister Tom Riddle said as he walked into the room twenty five minutes late.

Harry and Draco stood up automatically.

“Sir, how are you?” Draco asked, recovering quicker than Harry at the sight of the unaccompanied man.

“I’m well, just enjoying another day of meetings. Now, I have your paperwork here. All it needs are your sign offs… and mind.”

Draco had to hide his eye roll at Harry’s audible gulp.

“Now, this is the first ward of the ministry to be adopted under my tenure as Minister. And more than that, boys… I consider Pansy to be one of my own. Do you understand?”

“She won’t face any harm from us,” Draco replied, voice slightly shakier than he wanted to admit. “We love her… she loves us. She deserves the world, and we plan to give it to her.”

“That’s what I want to hear. You understand that Severus and I would be willing to take her into our home if we even heard that she was truly unhappy or not being treated as a princess should?”

“Absolutely,” Harry spat out with a shaking voice. “It won’t come to that. She will be treated perfectly with us. We give you our word, sir.”

“That’s all I needed to hear,” Tom replied, using a self-inking quick that he’d tucked into his briefcase to sign the papers. “You’ll both sign the front and back of each sheet.”

Harry almost dropped the quill twice as Tom casually continued speaking in the back about how much his boys liked Pansy and wouldn’t mind having a sister if it was her. Draco had, of course, told him that the Minister was no one to be trifled with… but having the man so concerned for his daughter? It was both gratifying and terrifying.

“Looks to be all set,” Tom said after rapidly checking the three pieces of parchment that Draco and Harry had signed. “You boys are the caregivers of Pansy Parkinson, effective immediately. I extend my congratulations on behalf of the entire Ministry.”

Draco and Harry shared a smile, both breathing sighs of relief at a moment that felt far more anticlimactic that it would if Pansy were present.

“Sir,” Draco started, not wanting to forget the one question that they had. “Will this be public record?”

Tom’s smile turned into a moue of distaste, “It will, despite my best efforts. The records are updated automatically, much like the book of Hogwarts students, so your adoption will likely be in the Prophet this week. Please inform your father if you need additional security, Mr. Potter.”

“Absolutely, sir,” Harry nodded. “Thank you for your advocacy and care throughout this process, we are extremely grateful.”

“My pleasure,” Tom nodded, standing up from the table. “Expect an owl from Severus, Regulus has been hankering for a playdate.”

“Yessir,” Draco smiled, standing up. “Pansy is hoping to try swimming soon. I’m sure Regulus would be a great help in overcoming her fears.”

The Minister let a laugh out at that, “Be careful what you wish for, Draco. The boy is over the moon any time he can play the older brother to your girl… he’s all yours. Now go see Pansy, I expect you have gifts.”

The man left before they could reply. Harry and Draco shared a horrified look of relief; Tom Riddle was more terrifying than anyone they’d ever met.

xxxxxxxxx

“Sh… you’re okay,” Harry crooned, bouncing Pansy in his arms like he had been for the past eternity. Before they could even tell Pansy that they were now officially her daddy and papa after taking the girl and her belongings from Marcus and Katie’s, she’d fallen asleep for her afternoon nap. It was okay, though; Draco and Harry were patient.

Harry and Draco were in Narcissa’s most comfortable ‘family only’ sitting room with both sets of their parents, discussing the dinner that Narcissa had been planning for this day. The couple was touched by the way their parents cared so much about their happiness. 

Family was the center of everything in pureblood society, and Harry and Draco counted themselves blessed to have parents who took that as a comprehensive mandate. Their parents cared more about just furthering the bloodline; they cared that their children were healthy, well-regarded members of society.

Draco came upstairs after twenty minutes or so, brows burrowed in concern.

“Hmm.. everything okay?” Draco asked lightly.

“No good, papa,” Pansy cried, kicking a weak leg against Harry’s hip.

“None of that,” Harry chastised gently, receiving a louder cry in reply and hands squeezing tighter around his neck.

“Does she need a change?” Draco asked, concerned by the rare crying fit the girl was having.

“Yeah,” Harry replied, looking helpless in the face of Pansy’s sobs.

Draco steeled himself, “Just put her on the changing table, love.”

The blond was ready to gently hold Pansy’s arms to her side, predicting the way that she’d wail and flail her limbs when she was put down.

“We don’t hit and kick,” Draco said in the firmest, softest voice he could muster.

The girl’s cries were consistently loud and pitiful in a way that honestly impressed Draco, and he moved to pick Pansy up while Harry cleaned up the table and used nappy.

“What’s the fuss, princess?” Draco asked, honestly becoming concerned.

“Not good,” she repeated.

“Do you feel sick?” Draco tried again.

“Not good,” she repeated, crying a little less.

“Hmm.. is it your tummy?” Draco asked, gently rubbing a hand against her side.

“Toe,” she replied, tears stemming a little.

“Let’s take a look at your little feets,” Draco said. “Daddy, why don’t you sit on the rocking chair and hold our girl?”

Harry sat down and opened his arms up for Pansy, who sunk back bonelessly into his arms.

Draco could immediately tell that her right big toe was the problem; the whole right side of the toe looked inflamed and swollen.

“Ouch, honey, that looks like it hurts. Dobby’s going to get nana and grammy so they can help,” Draco said, knowing the elf would grab the women.

They walked in a few minutes later, concerned expressions on their face as though they’d heard Pansy’s cries from down the hall, which was definitely possible.

“Oh no, darling, what’s wrong?” Narcissa crooned. Both women, despite their expensive dresses, joined Draco in kneeling in front of Pansy.

“Her toe looks swollen, I’m wondering if you’ve ever dealt with anything similar,” Draco said calmly.

“Ah, yes,” Lily said, sharing a sympathetic look with Narcissa. “That looks like a nasty ingrown toenail… Happens to all of us women at some point. Polly!”

A dark green elf popped into the room, wearing the Potter crest on her tea towel.

“Mistress, how is Polly being helping!”

“Polly, I need you to bring three elves here for a mani pedi immediately, please. The Malfoy elves will show you where to set up.”

Draco and Harry shared bewildered looks.

“A pedicure will get your owwie fixed up right away,” Lily promised. “Narcissa, I assume Livana will want to join?”

“Absolutely, I’ll have Dobby fetch her. We can set up in the Ladies Parlour.”

“Draco, Harry, bring Pansy town to the Ladies Parlour once she’s calmed down. She’ll be in good hands,” Narcissa said before both women left, discussing what summer colours they’d use on their nails.

“That was… terrifying,” Harry said quietly, shaking his head at the women’s quick problem-solving.

“That’s why I called them in,” Draco smirked. They lived with their parents, so why wouldn’t they use them when they were in need?

“Pansy needs a new diaper, then we can head downstairs. Would you mind wetting a towel and wiping her face?” Harry asked, standing up with the now sniffling girl.

Draco didn’t comment on the fact that they’d only just changed Pansy, knowing that the distraught little girl was less in control of her faculties than normal.

She only gave a small fight as Draco cleaned her face off, careful not to get water up her nose. No one likes that, especially cranky, slightly injured little girls.

“There we are, all clean,” Harry cooed. Pansy was dressed in a short-sleeve, pink nightie that proclaimed her to be papa’s cuddle bug, complete with a cartoon lady bug. Draco was endlessly amused by the muggle shopping catalogues that Lily provided them, spending far more money than anyone had the right to on little girl’s clothes.

“Now we go pamper our Pansy,” Draco said, snapping his fingers twice so that an elf would come to them while they walked. “If you can bring a sippy cup of water to the Ladies Parlour.”

“No!” Pansy squawked, pouting at the man. “Baba.”

“A bottle, if you’d please,” Draco corrected, receiving an eager nod from the elf. He wasn’t going to get into a fight with his grumpy gal.

Livana, Lily and Narcissa were already in the parlour that now boasted four leather looking chairs with glass bowls the women had their feet in.

“Hi, beautiful,” Livana cooed at her granddaughter. “Come sit next to grandmere, let’s get our nails done.”

Pansy was smiling by the time that Harry carefully placed her onto the leather chair, the bowl at the bottom automatically moving up so that her feet rested comfortably at the bottom.

“Shoo now,” Lily smiled, waving a hand. “This is a girl’s day.”

Draco and Harry shared a quick look. 

“Make sure she drinks her bottle,” Draco instructed, nodding at the cup that was now in the drink holder on Pansy’s chair.

“Yes, Draco, we’ve all raised children before. Quite well, I’ll tell you,” Narcissa replied with a smirk. “Pansy’s going to have her first girl’s day, okay? Let's have fun.”

“Say buh-bye, daddy and papa!” Lily said in a high voice, causing Pansy to giggle like she wasn’t screaming bloody murder for the past hour.

“Bye bye!” Pansy replied, grabbing her bottle in one hand and leaning back to suckle on it like she didn’t have a care in the world. Which, to be fair, was a good thing. Draco and Harry planned on working come fall, so having Pansy comfortable with their parents for weekends and holidays was more of a blessing than anything else.

“Bye, baby,” Harry smiled, blowing a kiss as they walked out.

The men were a bit suspicious at the way they didn’t receive any information on what’d happened, but made their way down for dinner two hours later.

To their surprise, Pansy was being placed into her highchair by Lucius, giggling all the way.

“Daddy! Papa! Look!” Pansy shrieked happily, kicking her feet out straight to the side and holding a hand toward them.

“Wow, your nails look beautiful,” Draco replied with all of the awe he knew was necessary in a reaction. He had grown up with a society mum and properly awe-filled father, after all. In private, Blaise always joked that Abraxas and Lucius Malfoy were wife guys, fully content to hype their wives up and take pride in the fact that their wives were the most beautiful, well-dressed women in the room.

The girl’s toes were a glittery hot pink, and her fingernails were the same. Her ring fingers and big toes had small, intricate flowers around the edges. What he really cared about, though, as he bent down to inspect, was the way that her big toe was no longer inflamed.

“Women get ingrown toenails all the time,” Lily explained. “Wearing tight shoes, especially heels, is a recipe for a painful toe. James hired me a few spa elves when I was pregnant with Dorea to take care of my aching feet. They’re lifesavers, I’ll tell you.”

“Thank you, Lily,” Draco nodded.

“And the polish is non-toxic,” Livana cut in as Abraxas pulled her chair back. “Pansy and I had been planning a spa day, so I made sure we had safe polish at the manor.”

“We appreciate your thought,” Harry nodded. “And these gorgeous nails!”

“Fun, daddy, papa,” Pansy smiled. “Mango tickled my feets.”

“Our Pansy’s quite ticklish, the pumice stone had her giggling,” Lily smiled.

“Such beautiful women,” James sighed as he sat down next to his wife. “I’m glad we have the galleons to keep you looking your best.”

Lily scoffed, “You’ve done nothing of the sort, James Charlus.”

“Dangerous ground,” Lucius observed, simply pulling his napkin onto his lap and awaiting the first course.

“I’d like to propose a toast to family,” Abraxas smiled, holding his champagne filled glass up. They all had water, champagne and wine, the champagne flute in order to celebrate the special occasion.

“Er… Pansy still doesn’t know,” Harry said sheepishly.

“What he means is that she was upset over her injury when she woke up from her nap, and we didn’t have the chance to tell her,” Draco replied.

To her credit, the normally inattentive Pansy heard her name.

“Pansy?”

Draco rolled his eyes. Leave it to his family to make them share in front of everyone.

“Well,” Draco started. “Daddy and papa heard from Uncle Tom today that we are now a family. We get to be your daddies forever.”

They were relieved when the girl’s eyes lit up immediately in understanding. “Papa and daddy and Pansy? Forever?”

“Forever,” Harry smiled, eyes watery. To his credit, though, Livana, Lily, Narcissa and James were tearing up as well. Lucius and Abraxas smiled sweetly at their wives while rolling their eyes at James, forever used to his behavior.

“Is Pansy Draco Harry?” she asked. Both men shared looks at the weird way the girl had spoken, unsure of what she meant for once.

“What, darling?”

“Is Pansy’s name Pansy Draco Harry?”

The adults all tried to hide their laughter at the girl’s precious question.

“No, bubby, your name can be Pansy Potter Malfoy now if you’d like,” Harry replied, loving the bright grin he received.

“Pansy Potter Malfoy!” she said, testing the name out. “Why not Pansy Draco Harry?”

Abraxas cut in, knowing this was a task for Lord Malfoy. “Well, my princess, Draco and Harry are their first names, just like Pansy is yours. But if you use Malfoy Potter, then everyone knows you’re related to all of us. Isn’t that nice?”

The girl was quiet for a moment before nodding. “Pansy Potter Malfoy.”

“Cheers to Pansy Potter Malfoy!” James cheered, clinking champagne glasses with everyone while the adults on the opposite side of the table walked around to kiss the little girl and clink glasses with her Disney princess covered plastic sippy cup.

The adults ate what Narcissa said was ahi tuna tartare on wonton crisps for their first course while Pansy had an assortment of muffins and breads placed onto her highchair tray. They’d found out quickly that her meager palate was because she’d never had new foods to try, not because she was picky. 

She enjoyed having a variety of breads on her plate, inadvertently trying new flavours and fruits as she nibbled at meals each day. So far, her favourites were garlic focaccia bread and pretzel rolls. She loathed prunes, something that made James and Lily laugh. Harry had thrown prunes in the face of a Potter elf in a childhood rage once, and they’d never let him forget it.

Knowing not to just take food from Pansy’s plate without warning, an elf chimed a bell, noting with pleasure that the girl’s tray was empty. Now that she was almost a year separated from her mother’s extremely unhealthy eating directives, Pansy was an excellent eater and on the way to having a little belly for the first time. Draco and Harry loved it.

“What is?” Pansy asked when the second course was brought out.

“We have asparagus soup with candied pecans, and you have some salad on a stick,” Narcissa said, receiving narrow stares from the Potters.

“Are you on Pinterest?” Harry asked, extremely amused. The blonde woman shrugged lightly, which was answer enough. It only led to more questions, though. Where was Narcissa using a computer? He knew that the Malfoys had their house refigured by Arthur Weasley so that they could have a television for Pansy, but a computer? He didn’t expect that.

“Yummy sauce,” Pansy smiled. The raspberry vinaigrette covered the pieces of spinach, strawberries, grapes and avocado, ultimately getting Pansy messy, but fed.

“Where is Dorea?” Lucius asked after swallowing soup.

James groaned.

“Quiet, you,” Lily admonished. “She has a boyfriend, and she’s been spending time with him. It’s a very new development, but one James needs to try and be positive about.”

“Who is it?” Lucius asked, unable to stem his curiosity and knowing his wife was wondering the same thing.

“Zepaniah Shacklebolt,” Lily replied. “He’s the oldest of Kingsley and Mercy’s boys.”

“A Gryffindor?” Lucius asked.

Draco smirked at that. “A Slytherin, just like his father.”

“Very interesting,” Narcissa replied. “He’ll have to come for dinner soon.”

“We’re seeing if it’s serious before introducing him to the family,” Lily smiled, her meaning going unsaid. They didn’t want anyone to meet Pansy under the guise of being family until they were certain they would be. The girl’s understanding of family was already so fragile, they wouldn’t be irresponsible enough to shatter the progress they’d already made.

“A smart decision,” Livana smiled. “My best to Dorea, the Shacklebolts are an impressive family.”

Everyone worked quickly through their soup before the bell chimed again. 

Narcissa looked visibly excited for Pansy to see what her third course would be.

Draco was suitably impressed by the bone-in tomahawk steak with melting potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts on his plate, but more interested with what was on Pansy’s.

“What is, nana?” Pansy asked. Getting her face close to the bowl and squinting.

“It’s called ravioli, darling. They’re pieces of pasta filled with cheese and there is pizza sauce on top,” Narcissa explained in an unrefined way that a toddler would understand.

Pansy let out a happy noise at that, reaching a hand into the bowl and eating the first piece. The woman was glad that the elves took care to ensure each dish she was given was warm to the touch, but not hot.

“Yum, nana! Yummy,” Pansy squealed after finishing the first piece, manners still firmly in place. By the time she’d finished her bowl and the adults stopped conversing in order to check her out, she was a mess of cheese and red sauce and exhaustion. The girl would need a bath, pronto.

“You didn’t like that at all, did you pumpkin?” James asked.

“I love it, grampy!” Pansy replied with a scowl, running a hand through the bowl to try and eat more sauce. The adults were too smitten with the way she looked to take her bowl away.

“Full, daddy,” Pansy said with a yawn.

“I bet, bubs,” Harry snickered, not mentioning that she didn’t get dessert.

“I took the liberty of holding our final course until later,” Narcissa said, leaving unsaid that she meant dessert in front of little ears.

“Good thinking, mother,” Draco praised, drawing nods from the room. “We’ll take this one up to the bath.”

“Bubbles!” Pansy said. “Pink bubbles!”

“Yes, princess,” Draco replied indulgently. “Harry, take her upstairs.”

“Thanks, love,” Harry replied drily, rolling his eyes. Leave it to Draco to ask his new, loving husband to get his outfit dirty.

“My shirt’s new, yours isn’t,” Draco replied simply, drawing a laugh from the other adults.

“Kisses, daddy,” Pansy sighed, pressing a saucy, chocolatey kiss to Harry’s cheek after she was unstrapped from her highchair. 

“Thanks, lovebug. That’s a really nice kiss,” Harry replied, affection still filling his voice at Pansy’s peck.

“Was yummy,” Pansy agreed. She laid her head down on Harry’s shoulder, sleepily smiling at the adults who knew they likely wouldn’t see their granddaughter until the morning with how close to sleep she already looked.

The girl was asleep before Harry’d even washed her hair, and it was one of those times that he was grateful that they had galleons to spend on copious amounts of bubble bath that his daughter wasn’t even awake to appreciate. More often than not, Pansy seemed to be asleep by the time she bathed.

He pressed a kiss to her hair as he placed her in her crib, nodding to the pair of elves who walked into the room for their informal Pansy watching. Though he didn’t understand it, he appreciated how loyal the creatures were to the girl.

Taking one last look at the sleeping girl, pacifier bobbing between her lips, Harry headed downstairs with hopes of chocolate mousse for dessert. Sure, it was Pansy’s favourite, but it was also his.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all for commenting! One of my readers had a comment that helped guide this chapter :) Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and ideas!

Tom Riddle was not a patient man, nor was he a particularly kind one. Not when it came to those he did not trust or love or respect. Unfortunately for him, that constituted most of the population, sans his family, a few friends, and a few more littles.

Those he despised most were the people who looked down their nose at his husband or those who looked at his boys with anything but love. Tom had been come onto by many men and women who couldn’t possibly believe him in love with Severus Snape; it took all he had not to kill them on the spot. Thankfully, he had the power to ruin their lives, and he did. No one had the right to the only person he considered an equal like he was scum beneath their feet. Didn’t they know all of the good Severus had done for their world?

Tom absolutely loved his family; they were perhaps the only thing keeping him tethered to the ground. Who knows what he would’ve become without Severus? He had ideas, of course… a brutal dictator who killed everyone in his way, a megalomaniac who took Albus bloody Dumbledore out once and for all? Thankfully, though, he was content enough to serve as Minister for however long he saw fit and institute whatever laws he wanted. No one would cross him, he knew that full well.

Whoever decided that you needed to work around the clock to show yourself as hardworking was an idiot. Tom didn’t need anyone’s validation that he was effective in his role, whether that meant being the first one in the office or the last one out. He was the Minister, for Salazar’s sake; he knew that he was doing his job well. That’s why he took weekends off, barring any emergencies. His executive assistant, Percy Weasley, knew not to disturb him unless a meteor was headed towards Diagon Alley. The only competent Weasley, and that in and of itself was a generous characterization, worked around the clock out of fear and vanity. Tom never called the boy on it, not when it worked to his advantage to always have someone with their eyes and ears open and their pen on parchment.

But during the weekends, he was just poppy to his boys and Uncle Tom to his most precious niece. A niece whose birthday he was celebrating, despite the awful shrieks of children and fake, raucous laughter of adults he wished to never interact with outside of the Ministry. Tom had pulled himself to the side of the Malfoy’s healthily green sprawling estate, sipping on a glass of what the elf had called Pansy’s pink lemonade as he watched the way the little girl walked over her entire family. There was no please, no thank you, no understanding of interrupting adult conversations when she wanted attention.

Tom had dealt with the same conundrum with Rabastan. Unlike the Parkinsons who were cruel, the Lestranges were simply uncaring. They focused their energy on Rodolphus, their eldest, and left their younger ‘spare’ son without instruction or rules.

Unlike Regulus, who’d had a meltdown in the Great Hall that’d sparked their relationship, Rabastan was more of an organic integration into Tom’s life. The apprentice had helped former classifications Professor Zoweli to oversee LLP and ULP classes as the only other caregiver on Hogwarts’ staff at the time. 

Rabastan and Regulus were biologically the same age, but with Regulus’ early classification, Tom had cemented a relationship with him early.

Rabastan, however, was just another annoying little boy in Tom’s DADA classes. It was only in the boy’s fourth year, the final year of Tom’s three year apprenticeship, that Tom realized why Rabastan acted the way he did. Constantly ribbing his classmates, spelling words wrong when he actually turned in a completed essay, disregarding any and all instructions Tom gave in the dangerous classroom… the boy was classified after a St. Mungo’s healer came for a discreet exam at the school. How he hadn’t been classified? Laws, at that point, had allowed families to write off that their children were diagnosed as neutrals. Once in office, Abraxas had immediately ratified it, but the damage had been done. Having a child classified far later than normal led to their difficulty in adapting… no one won when a little dropped into their headspace.

Tom and Severus were officially together by the time the younger man graduated Hogwarts. Regulus already loved both of them separately, though Severus didn’t step in as Regulus’ official caregiver until he’d graduated from Hogwarts, wanting to keep up propriety when it came to Tom’s upward ascent.

Rabastan, however, had been placed with a foster family by emergency order from St. Mungo’s and the Ministry. To this day, the boy didn’t speak much on what had occurred during his holidays with the caregivers, but when Tom was contacted by St. Mungo’s asking if he’d be interested in fostering Rabastan, he immediately said yes.

Though they were both born as little brothers, Rabastan took to bossing Regulus around with ease. Regulus, adorably and somewhat dangerously, thought Rabastan was the second coming of Merlin. Severus would rock their little one to bed every night to stories about how Rabastan taught him this skill or how to play with that toy, until a contented Regulus fell asleep with a smile on his face. It was a no-brainer when they put in for an official adoption, and Tom remembered the visceral anger he felt at seeing how relieved the workers were when he’d informed them personally.

Severus still called it a rash decision, but Tom moved quickly to pull Regulus and Rabastan from Hogwarts after that incident, allowing the boys to homeschool for the last year and a half of their education. Littles, of course, didn’t normally finish at Hogwarts after finding a caregiver back then. What was the point if their caregiver had already graduated?

As minister, Abraxas had instituted a mandatory graduation requirement, barring any special circumstances. That’d been extremely beneficial to students, giving caregivers the chance to interact with littles before going off into the real world and allowing littles a sense of autonomy that helped them socially and mentally.

So yes, Tom knew exactly what he was witnessing; caregivers who weren’t disciplining their child properly. It’d taken years for Rabastan to trust that Tom and Severus would love him even when they disciplined him. Both of their boys, actually, but Rabastan was especially recalcitrant. They’d known, of course, that he was continually pushing them to see what their limits were. That didn’t make it any easier to deal with a screaming, angry child who loved to pull his brother’s hair and climb out of his bed to mess up the kitchen while the elves weren’t present. There were remedies to each and every one of Rabastan’s terror methods, but that didn’t make it any less tiring and it didn’t make the boy feel any more loved.

Eventually, though, they got there. And Tom and Severus both knew what people said about them. That they ruled their children with an iron fist. They were borderline cruel. Of all the things Tom was called, cruel towards his children hurt the most.

Severus was the love of his life for many reasons, his mind being the most obvious to the general populace. But to Tom, finding someone else who’d faced abuse from authority figures solely for being magical was a solace that he couldn’t quite describe. The men were both staunchly unemotional in public, but the nights spent rehashing childhood traumas were cathartic and illuminating. 

To have others think that they’d hurt their children enraged Tom in a way he couldn’t quite manage. If he ever found out who’d started those rumours… he’d ruin them.

Severus did his best to calm his husband down, with smug words of affirmation. Their boys loved them, adored them even. They’d never had parental figures to look up to… or siblings for that matter. Tom and Severus were their world, and the men did the best to build up an inclusive, fun, engaging, yet regulated world for their boys. Children needed structure, and that didn’t change even if they were littles. They were still children.

“What are you going to do?” Severus asked quietly, truly shocking Tom in a way he didn’t appreciate. Despite the jolt inside of him, he know that Severus would be the only one to notice that he’d been surprised.

“What do you mean?” Tom replied, a perfectly arched brow raising.

“They’re being dragged around by a tiny girl and their parents clearly are too enamoured to step in and help. Abraxas and Livana as well, for that matter. Are you going to help them?”

“Yes, Severus. It’s clear that there are no adults in any room that Pansy walks into, so unfortunately it’s my duty to correct them.”

Severus sighed, “You pretend as though you don’t enjoy setting people straight.”

“Not when I know what will follow, especially this close to the start of term. I should’ve noticed sooner…” Tom murmured, uncharacteristically shamed.

“It’s not your fault,” Severus replied back in a similarly low tone. “I’ll tell Draco that we’d like them over for dinner tomorrow. Now, go find your son, last I saw he was chasing around Tracey Davis with a worm.”

“He is not my son,” Tom stated, knowing without asking that he was talking about Rabastan.

“Your. Son.” Severus said just as seriously. “That level of sadism only comes from one of us.”

Tom hid a smile, knowing his husband wasn’t wrong, though he’d never let him know.

xxxxxxxxx

Pansy was not feeling good. At all. She had the most fun day ever yesterday, where she had her first birthday party ever. She loved everything about it… the presents, the cake, her friends, the kisses, the hugs, the cheesy pasta… it was the best time she’d ever had.

But now? She was so sleepy and her tummy hurt and her eyes hurt and daddy and papa didn’t seem to care. They made her go to Diagon Alley to get her things for second year, even though she said she didn’t want to! Then they wouldn’t take her inside the Magical Menagerie to see cats because they were running late to Uncle Tom and Uncle Sev’s. She didn’t even say she wanted to go see them! All she wanted was to take a bath and drink a baba and go nighnigh… 

So, who was to blame her if she was cranky and not too happy to see her cousins and uncles?

“Toplin, please grab a bib,” Tom said, staring at Pansy as she clung onto Harry while he tried to place her into the only highchair at the table.

The elf was back in a second, handing the fabric over to Harry who just stared down at it.

“She doesn’t need a bib,” Harry responded politely, trying to hand it back to the elf who was staring up with wide, slightly nervous eyes.

“I would disagree. Little ones need bibs to keep their nice clothes clean, please put it on,” Tom replied lightly. Both Rabastan and Regulus had wide eyes at the tone they knew so well. Someone was in trouble, and thankfully, it wasn’t them.

“Yessir,” Harry muttered, putting the soft, light blue fabric around her neck.

“No like,” Pansy pouted, reaching to try and take the fabric around her neck off.

“Ah ah ah,” Tom sing-songed. “That’s not going to come off, dear.”

“Why?” she asked, still trying in vain to take it off.

“Because I spelled it not to, I have two grumpy little ones of my own.”

“I don’t wear a bib, pops!” Rabastan piped up, face turning red at the thought.

“Yes you do! When we eat pasta and pancakes and pizza!” Regulus retorted, getting a scowl from his brother. “It’s okay, Pansy, I wear a bib too.”

The girl smiled slightly at her cousin, causing Harry and Draco to nearly deflate in relief. Crisis averted.

Draco was a bit unsettled at the intense way he saw Tom eyeing them throughout dinner, wondering why on earth they’d been invited. He knew the man did nothing without a reason, especially a last minute dinner that’d upset the routine Tom so carefully maintained.

After finishing dinner, without dessert, Draco must add, Tom called an elf to take the children to the boys’ playroom while the adults retired to a sitting room.

Draco conjured a wet towel to clean Pansy’s face off before she left, squirming to get out of the highchair as he worked. Regulus and Rabastan waited patiently for the girl, and both took her hands in their own as they sped walked out of the room.

Harry looked far too comfortable when they got to the sitting room, and Draco wished for once that the man was a bit more observant. Or had relatives that required him to be on edge like Draco often found himself.

“How is it going with Pansy?” Tom asked after a sip of water. Severus and Tom didn’t drink, but hosted enough that they had wine on hand for Draco and Harry.

“It’s going well,” Harry smiled, completely unaware of the trap he was walking into. Draco could’ve bashed his head in with a rock. “I think we’re just happy to have her home with us, honestly. Yesterday was a bit hectic, but other than that, it’s been wonderful.”

Tom let out a low noise of contemplation, “I’m glad to hear it… has she had any troubles settling in?”

“The normal troubles, I’d say,” Draco replied quickly, not wanting Harry to speak again. “Not wanting to sleep at night, throwing tantrums during her nap, feeling upset if our attention is elsewhere… growing pains.”

“Can I be honest, boys?” Tom replied. At this, Draco did gulp audibly.

“Of course, sir.”

“You need to take a firmer hand now, or it’s game over for all of you. Imagine what will happen if she heads back to Hogwarts in a month with nary a rule or expectation?”

“We have rules!” Harry cut in, face turning red.

“Such as?” Severus cut in, making it clear to Draco that they were being ganged up on.

“Bath everyday, a nap before lunch and before dinner, a story before bed…”

“That sounds like parts of a routine, not rules,” Severus replied.

“What would you suggest?” Draco asked. Unlike Harry he knew the men wouldn’t take the time to call them out and usurp their parents and grandparents' roles in their lives and family if they didn’t find something seriously wrong with what they were doing.

“First, a little story… you boys weren’t even thoughts in your parents’ heads when we were bringing Rabastan into our family. Much like Pansy, he’d been ignored by his family and left to wilt away under the dim light of no expectations. By the time he’d been classified and taken into a foster, he had trust issues and little understanding of authority. Severus and I had the same predilection to let it slide and have him love us as much as we loved him… but quickly realized that that helps no one.”

“Children thrive on rules, expectation, and routine,” Severus nodded, agreeing with his husband. “Just because Pansy is in a twelve-year-old body at the moment doesn’t mean that she is twelve; she is just a little girl, and she needs to be treated like one.”

“She’ll think that we hate her,” Harry replied, shoulders slumping like the puppy dog he was.

“She’ll just spiral out of control if you don’t take the time to invest in her with more than just a yes. As parents, we understand that no is sometimes the kindest answer we can give, even if our children don’t understand it. Do you think that I felt kind telling Regulus he couldn’t attend Sirius’ stag party? But do you think he would’ve felt comfortable attending? The Ministry entrusted you with the care of a very nervous and shy little girl who’s faced unknown trauma. Your role as her fathers is to know what she needs and ensure she receives it. That isn’t always a yes.”

“What do you suggest that we do?” Draco sighed, running a hand through his blond locks.

xxxxxxxxx

“What is?” Pansy asked, standing very close to the large board that’d appeared overnight on her nursery wall.

“That’s our Pansy’s Day board! Isn’t it pretty?” Harry asked, squatting and sitting down next to the girl.

The girl shrugged. She didn’t really understand what was going on.

“Papa’s going to go over it for us, then we can ask questions, okay?”

Pansy nodded, moving to curl up on Harry’s lap.

“Good girl,” Draco smiled, receiving a small grin in return. “We’re going to work together every day to decide how we’ll be playing and what other fun activities you’ll get to do. That way we all know what’s ahead. Let’s start with today… what have you done already?”

“I wake up! I eat breakfast and clean my teeth… now I’m with daddy and papa,” Pansy replied.

“Very good! Now, this is called a magnet board, so we have different icons that will stick to it and show us what you’re doing. First, let’s put down wake up since it’s the first thing you did… then we have breakfast and brushing teeth… how’s that?”

“Like it, papa! Taco!” Pansy clapped, loving the bright cartoon pictures that were going up on the board. Instead of Pansy, James charmed a ton of Draco’s doodles of Taco doing different activities into magnets. It’d taken all night, but they looked amazing, and they knew Pansy would love it.

“Now we can add playtime, snack, nap, lunch, outside time with nana, nap, quiet time, supper, bath time, baba and talks, then night night...”

The room was quiet outside of Draco sticking magnets on until it was one long row of magnets showing exactly what Pansy was doing.

“How’s it look?” Draco asking, stepping back.

“I like,” Pansy nodded. “Why do we have it?”

“So that we can know exactly what we’re going to do today… we can put your schedule together every morning, as a family. Isn’t that fun?”

Pansy nodded. “We play?”

“Yes love, we can play.”

xxx

Honestly, Draco wished Tom were there to see how well-behaved Pansy had been in the past week.

He agreed with Harry, though, if he were being truthful. It wasn’t that Pansy was poorly behaved before, it was that she didn’t know how to act with the manners befitting a pureblood little girl from a prominent family.

Tom was right, though, that their parents were unwilling to sully Pansy’s opinions of them by correcting her behavior. Unfortunately, that’d be up to Harry and Draco even though that was kind of what they signed up for as her parents.

There were only two weeks until Pansy went back to Hogwarts, and Draco was second-guessing whether or not she should go back. It was the law, of course, barring extenuating circumstances, but… was she ready? They were preaching stability, yet they were preparing to send the girl back to school without them. There were far too many unknowns.

The trio was about to head to St. Mungo’s for Pansy’s allergy test, which was yet another event that Draco and Harry had been dreading.

Harry had gotten Pansy dressed in a dark purple onesie with silver hearts all over it, snapping it at the crotch before pulling on stretchy trousers that were also silver. They knew they’d have to undress her at some point during the exam, so a onesie was easier than putting a dress on her.

Draco swung an over packed diaper bag over his shoulder, smiling softly as Harry went over the day’s activities again with Pansy. Now that they’d set the routine, the girl would confirm it multiple times with them almost as if to confirm that nothing had changed. They’d brought it up to Thorfinn before one of Pansy’s therapy sessions, and the man saw it as a good sign for Pansy settling well into her new family and daily routine.

“Now we go to see Katie and Dorcas!” Harry exclaimed, jiggling Pansy in his arms.

“Finn?” Pansy asked.

“Hmm… I’m not sure if he’ll be there, but we can ask Katie and Dorcas,” Draco promised.

They headed down the stairs, having spent the night at the Potter’s Manor. Pansy didn’t seem to care much over where they spent the night as long as they had Taco, lovey and her magnet board, which worked well for Draco and Harry.

“Hi Pansy! Welcome back!” the welcome witch greeted as they stepped through the Floo.

The girl smiled shyly, hiding her face in Harry’s shoulder.

They only sat for a few minutes in the waiting room before Dorcas came through. Pansy gave her a wide smile, but didn’t move to leave Harry’s arms.

“Pansy, I’ve missed you! What have you done this week?” Dorcas asked as she led the trio back to her examination room.

“We have magnets! Tell her please, papa,” Pansy instructed.

“Nice manners, princess,” Draco praised with a smile. “We have a Pansy’s Day board now where we put down what activities we have going on, complete with some very special magnets.”

Pansy giggled, holding up Taco. “They look like Taco doing stuff!”

Dorcas let out the appropriate noise of excitement as she opened the door and guided the family in. “Oh, wow! Isn’t that silly of Taco… what kind of stuff does he do?”

“He plays and he sleeps and he eats and he comes to here for you and Finn! We see Finn?”

“I think we may be able to see Finn, sweetheart. Harry, why don’t you put Pansy down on the table,” Dorcas suggested before leading the girl through the rudimentary tests of her breath, reflexes and senses. “Very good, Pansy! Now, we’re going to need her in just her nappy for this next bit. I’ll go grab Thorfinn while you do that.”

The girl let out a whimper as Draco removed her clothes, but quickly quieted as Draco reminded her that Thorfinn would be there in a moment.

“Hi girlie,” the giant man said as he walked into the room, grinning at the now mostly naked little girl in front of him.

“Finn! Daddy said we might not play, but you’re here!”

“I couldn’t miss my favourite little one, could I?” the man said, crouching down on the far side of the examination table so that Pansy would look over to him and not at what Dorcas was getting ready to do. “Stay on your tummy just like that, good girl.”

Pansy followed the man’s instructions, enraptured as he started to tell her about his little sister’s trip to the beach.

“You play with Tracey?” Pansy asked.

Harry and Draco shared an eye roll at the question of their unintentionally nosy girl.

For all of their advancements through magic, muggle allergy tests were still the only accurate form of examination. Dorcas had all of the normal allergens ready, and started to write on Pansy’s back as was routine.

“Tickles!” Pansy giggled at the feeling of the cold marker on her back.

“Sorry about that, dear. We’ll be done soon…” Dorcas promised, hoping against hope that the girl wouldn’t be super allergic to anything to the point of irritation. Though, she knew that was far too optimistic; if Pansy’s face blew up at eating nuts, that didn’t bode well for the test.

“Yes, Tracey and I have been playing… yesterday, we went to paint together!”

“Are you her daddy?” Pansy asked, squirming slightly as the healer took the first needle to her back, not that Pansy was looking.

Draco and Harry were squeezing each other’s hands, terrified for her reaction.

“Not yet. Do you think I should be?” Thorfinn asked, having a very gossipy conversation with the little girl to try and get her mind off of the many needles that would be slightly pricking her back. 

“Yes!” Pansy said, nodding. “She’s nice and fun like you.”

“She is nice and fun, I agree. Maybe you can play with us sometime.”

“What we play?” Pansy asked.

“Hmm… what did you and Tracey play at school?”

“She reads to me! And plays dolls and blocks.”

“That sounds super fun, no no, no itching…” Thorfinn said lightly.

“Ow!” Pansy whimpered, trying to reach back and scratch her back.

The adults could tell that there were a few spots that were rising into a telltale bump of an allergy rather quickly, and knew how painful it had to be for their girl.

“No, bubby, no touching… you’re almost done,” Harry crooned, moving to kneel in front of Pansy. And taking her hands into his own.

“Don’t like…” she cried, eyes filling with tears.

“You’re so brave, Pansy…” Dorcas said, placing her quill and parchment down from where she’d been finishing a report from an earlier appointment.

“Ouch, papa!” Pansy exclaimed, hoping that the only person who wasn’t telling her something she didn’t want to hear would help her out.

Draco grit his teeth, knowing he was the one Pansy went to when she felt she was being treated poorly. She trusted him to stand up to anyone, even her beloved, teddy bear of a daddy.

“Oh, I know, my sweet girl. You’re doing so good, though… Papa even has a special present for you once we leave,” Draco promised, moving to kneel on the cold tile next to his husband so she could see them both.

Pansy’s eyes lit up at that, momentarily distracted. “What is?”

“You’ll have to wait and see,” Draco said, though he did hand Taco to the girl.

“Taco, it hurts,” the girl whimpered to her beloved toy. “He said stop…”

Harry reached a hand out to pat Taco’s head. “Taco just told me you’re being so brave… I agree with him.”

The girl sniffled.

“Oh! Pansy, guess what I tried this week,” Thorfinn smiled.

“What?” the girl asked, curious despite herself. Harry hid a wince at the way Pansy’s back was continuing to swell in a few spots, the skin looking like very irritated bug bites.

“Pizza! Tracey told me all about it and how you’d all eaten it last year at Hogwarts.”

“Yum! Aunt Marley brought pizza and it was so yummy… Dennis’ tummy hurt,” Pansy frowned.

“Did he eat too much pizza?” Thorfinn asked with a sympathetic look.

“Yeah! Hannah had to rub his tummy forever,” Pansy replied seriously.

“That’s no fun… have you eaten anything good lately?”

The girl babbled about her latest adventures in the kitchen with Lily, Narcissa and the elves, not even noticing the vibrating clatter of the muggle stopwatch Dorcas had set on her desk.

“Wow, time flies! What a brave girl,” Dorcas smiled, moving over to the group.

Thorfinn moved to stand up, thinking his duty was over when Pansy let out a screech.

“No!” she shouted, ripping her hands out of Draco’s to reach for Thorfinn. “Stay!”

“Okay, darlin,” the man replied calmly, sinking back onto the ground. “I’m going nowhere.”

“Is that how we ask for what we want?” Draco asked.

Pansy pouted. “Please and thank you.”

The adults hid their laughter at that, but Draco nodded. That was good enough for now.

“Nice manners, precious,” the Malfoy man praised.

“Now, let’s see…” Dorcas said, grabbing her parchment and scribbling furiously as she looked at the patchwork of red bumps on Pansy’s back and measured them carefully. “Let’s get your back all cleaned off, love.”

Pansy flinched, then sighed at the cold, soothing feeling of the potion-covered towel that Dorcas ran over her back, removing all traces of allergens from Pansy’s skin.

“There we go! Feel free to get her dressed.”

“Wet, papa,” Pansy informed, sticking her thumb into her mouth now that she felt better.

“Would you like us to leave for a moment?” Dorcas asked the men, receiving a very vigorous head shake from Pansy that was their answer. The healer was pleased to see the girl’s growth in comfort; it was a testament to the love of the family she was now being raised in.

Once Pansy was changed, dressed and situated in Thorfinn’s large arms, Dorcas started to go over the results.

“Nothing too surprising based on what you shared with Katie; truly, though, I’m surprised she has made it so long without a severe attack. Grateful, of course, but surprised.

“Pansy has serious allergies to tree nuts, peanuts and latex, and more mild allergies to dust mites, grass and rabbits. I’ll write up a prescription for a little-safe reaction relieving potion now, which you can either get at your local apothecary or made by Master Snape. It’s on the expensive side and cannot be held under stasis due to the mix of ingredients, meaning you’ll need to retrieve a new vial every 34 days.”

Draco waved the woman off. They were Malfoys, and they could afford anything and everything Pansy needed.

“If you have the script, we’ll have Severus brew the potion. What does a latex allergy imply?” Draco asked.

“Latex is found in many products, but those you should look out for include rubber gloves, bandages, balloons, bottles, pacifiers, and shoe soles. I assume her bottles and pacifiers are custom made, and I suggest continuing that pattern. Almost all nappies on the market are latex-free now, but I’d ensure that when purchasing. You’ll also need to watch out for diaper covers if you use them, as many have latex in the elastic leg bands.”

“What about nuts?” Harry asked, lowering his voice as he watched the way that Thorfinn was rocking Pansy slightly, the girl almost fully asleep in his arms with Taco pushed under her chin.

“We can see that she’s been mostly fine so far… the normal allergy protocol is to contact her head of house to set a meeting with the kitchen elves. I think it would also work to have one of your kitchen elves connect with the Hogwarts elves themselves.”

“We’ll do that,” Draco replied with a decisive nod. 

“Merlin, there’s so much to watch out for,” Harry moaned, running a hand over his face.

Dorcas smiled sympathetically. “She’ll be fine, boys. I’m sure you recall the allergy training that you undergo in your practicals; whoever’s caring for her at school will have the potion on them at all times. You’ll just need to manage her expectations on snack time, she’ll have to eat something separate from the other students.”

“I think she’ll like that better, honestly. She never seemed too impressed with what we served,” Harry smiled.

“Katie will be sad she missed her, but you’re good to go. I’ll owl the script over tonight, but you can have Severus get started.” Dorcas said.

“Thanks for coming, Thor,” Draco smiled gratefully, moving to take the sleeping girl from the older man’s arms.

“Of course… she’s a good girl.”

“No ice cream?” Harry asked quietly, pouting a bit as Thorfinn lumbered away.

“There’s plenty of ice cream at both of our places. Let’s go to mine, your father said he was having friends over which is the last thing we need.”

Harry agreed quickly. Pansy was a terror when she was inadvertently woken up, and they’d do whatever they could to keep her napping as long as possible.

xxxxxxxxx

After hearing the results of Pansy’s test, Narcissa simply had an elf pop over to invite Tom and Severus to dinner. The elf came back with a yes immediately, which had the blonde woman in a tizzy over putting a menu together.

Pansy was pleased as punch when she heard her cousins would be coming over; she had wanted to show Reggie the magnetic building blocks her grandpere had bought her after taking what he considered a treacherous journey to muggle London. Not that Pansy understood his mumbled complaining to the other adults, of course, far too focused on her new, fun toys.

“We’ll eat dinner first, then we’ll play,” Draco advised as he dressed the girl in a twirly cotton candy pink dress that hit just above her knees.

“We add to Pansy’s list?” she asked.

“Good idea, petal!” Harry praised. The trio headed to Pansy’s nursery after she was dressed, adding “playtime” after dinner and before bathtime. The board automatically updated at both manors, so that if they ended up going to the Potters for the evening they would have the same schedule fully laid out.

Pansy squirmed to get down, surprising Draco.

“Back hurts,” she said, though no tears came with the statement.

“Got it, sweetheart,” Draco replied, not wanting to draw attention to the problem. The girl, like many little ones, was prone to crying or panicking if she saw adults doing so. It was hard for them not to flinch or yelp whenever she tripped or bumped her head. Which, due to her young headspace and exuberance, happened quite often.

Pansy’s loud giggles echoed through the manor as Harry improvised and placed the girl on his shoulders instead of picking her up and having to touch her back. Draco stood behind them, terrified that his bulky husband was going to drop their girl.

“Be careful!” Lily chastised as they walked into the dining room while Narcissa let out a loud gasp. Harry was wiggling Pansy while the girl held onto his hair.

“I told him the same, Lily,” Draco scowled.

Harry was amused at the way Lucius commanded him to bend down before plucking Pansy off of his shoulders, the blond man cradling the girl close and moving far away from his son-in-law.

The Riddle-Snape family walked in while Lucius was still bouncing Pansy in his arms, murmuring about how silly boys didn’t deserve princesses like her. She giggled, liking the way her Lucie was pressing kisses to her and not holding her too tightly.

“Reggie!” Pansy squealed happily, squirming in Lucius’ light grip so he’d place her down.

The girl let out a yelp when her cousin hugged her, but still squeezed him back.

“Hi Reggie,” she repeated with a smile. “We can play after dinner?”

The boy looked up at his parents with large grey eyes.

“We’ll see,” Tom replied with a nod, bending down to greet Pansy. “How are you today, Pansy?”

“Got poked by Dorcas! Daddy said my back got big too.”

Tom and Severus both shot Draco and Harry looks in askance.

“Our brave girl got allergy tested today,” Harry replied, only slightly cowed by the dark looks from equally dark men.

“Papa said we have to put pictures up with what we do, but he didn’t say I was getting poked,” she pouted.

“What’s that about, darling?” Tom asked before picking Pansy up and moving to sit down at the table. Abraxas and Livana were out of town for the evening, leaving the newly-elected Minister as the most terrifying and indulgent man in the room.

Draco rolled his eyes and cut in, “We have started going over Pansy’s day every morning so that we can know exactly what’s going on. Then we have some rules and expectations, which is good for all of us.”

“Not pokes!” she replied. “Just said St. Mungo’s…”

“Such a brave girl,” Tom praised.

Pansy was squirming all through dinner, but every time Draco and Harry checked her nappy she was dry. Not even Regulus and Rabastan could distract her thoroughly, which they worried didn’t bode well for Tom and Severus’ trust in their parenting skills.

“Pansy, sit still please,” Tom said as they were wrapping up dessert. Harry thought it was a mute point since they’d just about finished food, and wasn’t surprised when the girl let out a scream.

“No! Hurts!” She shrieked, surprising everyone when the dress she was wearing just vanished, leaving her in a diaper and no slip socks. “Yay!”

The girl clapped her hands together, leaving everyone else in the room staring.

Rabastan let out a laugh, “It’s like when Reggie put our beds together cuz he was scared!”

Regulus’ jaw dropped before he set his face angrily. “No! I’m not scared!”

“Yes, you were. Remember, after dad read the story about the ghost dog?”

“Liar liar! Stop lying,” Regulus replied, shoving his brother off his chair.

“Ow! Pops! Dad!” the boy bellowed from the ground, sounding fake from where Draco sat.

“Shut your mouth, Rabastan! Liar,” Regulus replied, kicking a leg against his brother’s ribs and prompting the older boy to let out another noise.

“Regulus Arcturus Riddle!” Tom called out, voice booming as he stood up. Even Pansy looked nervous at the noise, which had Harry grabbing her naked self from her highchair and pulling her onto his lap.

“Is this how you act when someone invites you to dinner?”

“He’s a liar,” Regulus replied, crossing his arms. Draco was seriously impressed to see the boy look so calm in the face of an angry Tom Riddle and Severus Snape, knowing it was a testament to their bond as fathers and son.

“Say thank you to your aunts and uncles and then we are leaving,” Snape cut in, grabbing Rabastan off the floor and plopping him onto his left hip.

“Not a baby, dad!” Rabastan whined, being shushed for his efforts.

“Bye, thank you.” Regulus muttered.

“We’re sorry for the interruption, Narcissa,” Tom apologized.

“No worries, Tom and Severus. We’ll see you soon,” Narcissa smiled.

“The potion will be here first thing tomorrow,” Severus said in reply.

“Thank you, Uncle,” Draco said gratefully, receiving a tight nod in return.

As soon as Lucius was back from showing the family out like any good host would do, James let out a snort he had clearly been holding in since the two boys started fighting.

“Never thought I’d see those two misbehave,” James grinned. “Makes me feel like they’re a bit more normal.”

“James,” Lily scolded, shaking her head at her husband.

“And this little monkey is so powerful she poofed her dress right off!” James said in a happy voice, ignoring his wife.

Pansy giggled, “Not soft. Bath, daddy? Please?”

“Well, since you said please…” Harry replied, pressing a kiss onto Pansy’s nose that made her giggle.

“Bubbles?” she asked. “Please?”

Draco groaned as they walked out and bade goodnight to their families, knowing that they’d created a manners monster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments keep me going - let me know what you think :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Find me on tumblr at thiscitychickk.tumblr.com :)


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